50,000 Troops, 200 Fighters, 2 Aircraft Carriers Engaged in Attack on Iran, Commander Says

The Iranian regime’s ability to hit the United States and its partners is declining, a CENTCOM commander said.

An F-35C Lightning II preparing for launch on the flight deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln at an undisclosed location in the Middle East on March 2, 2026. U.S. Navy via AP

The U.S. military has deployed over 50,000 troops, 200 fighter jets, two aircraft carriers, and bombers as part of Operation Epic Fury against Iran, with more capabilities “on the way,” Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), said in a March 3 video update on X.

“These forces bring a massive amount of firepower, representing the largest buildup by the U.S. in the Middle East in a generation,” Cooper said. “Now, we’re less than 100 hours into this operation, and we’ve already struck nearly 2,000 targets with more than 2,000 munitions. We have severely degraded Iran’s air defenses and destroyed hundreds of Iran’s ballistic missiles, launchers, and drones.”