A senior US military commander says American forces have destroyed 17 Iranian ships, including what he described as Iran’s “most operational” submarine, during the ongoing campaign against Iran.

In a video message posted on X, Adm Brad Cooper, commander of US Central Command (CENTCOM), said US forces are “focused on shooting all the things that can shoot at us”, and described the bombardment as “uncontested” and “surgical”, including strikes by B-2 and B-1 bombers.

“We are also sinking the Iranian navy — the entire navy,” Cooper said. “Thus far, we’ve destroyed 17 Iranian ships, including the most operational Iranian submarine that now has a hole in its side.”

Cooper also claimed Iran’s naval activity had been effectively halted across key waterways, saying there was “not a single Iranian ship underway” in the Arabian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz or the Gulf of Oman, adding: “And we will not stop.”

He said the US operation — which he referred to as Operation Epic Fury — involves more than 50,000 US personnel and over 200 fighter aircraft, with strikes continuing “24/7”. Cooper also claimed that in the first 100 hours the US had struck nearly 2,000 targets using more than 2,000 munitions.

On Iran’s response, he said Tehran has launched more than 500 ballistic missiles and over 2,000 drones, but argued Iran’s “ability to hit us is declining” as its launchers and missile stocks are targeted.

UK Fact Check Politics note: these figures and assessments are claims made by the US commander in a social media video and have not been independently verified.