U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle aircraft. Staff Sgt. Michael B. Keller, U.S. Air Force, file photo
The United States has flown more than 8,000 combat flights and struck more than 7,800 targets in Iran since the conflict began three weeks ago, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said on March 18, as Iranian state-run media warned of imminent strikes on nearby countries’ oil refineries.
On Wednesday, CENTCOM also said U.S. planes dropped several 5,000-pound bombs on what it described as “hardened Iranian missile sites” along the Strait of Hormuz in a bid to allow oil tankers to pass through the strategic waterway. Since combat operations started on Feb. 28, around 120 Iranian military ships have also been destroyed.
