Missiles / Envato Market
by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Washington D.C. Bureau Chief
(Worthy News) – The number of missiles launched by Iran has dropped by roughly 90% since the opening day of the war, according to the commander of U.S. Central Command, as American and Israeli forces establish near-total aerial dominance over the country.
CENTCOM chief Adm. Brad Cooper said during a Thursday briefing that ballistic missile attacks have fallen by 90% and drone attacks by 83% since the conflict began. Israeli Defense Forces Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir added that about 60% of Iran’s missile launchers have already been destroyed.
“This is a very significant achievement that reduces harm to the home front and saves many lives,” Zamir said, while warning the threat has not yet been eliminated. “Every missile is lethal and poses a danger”
Since the start of the campaign, the Israeli Air Force has conducted about 2,500 sorties and dropped more than 6,000 munitions, targeting Iranian air defenses, missile launchers and military infrastructure. Israeli security officials had initially prepared for Iran to fire as many as 150 missiles per day, but only about 200 missiles have been launched at Israel since the war began.
Military data compiled by Israel’s Alma Research Center shows missile barrages steadily declining after the first days of heavy attacks. The first day saw 25 barrages followed by 64 on the second day, though with fewer missiles per wave. By the fifth day the number had dropped to around 11 daily barrages, with only nine waves reported Thursday.
U.S. forces have also intensified strikes using all three types of America’s strategic bombers — the B-2 Spirit, B-1 Lancer and B-52 Stratofortress. The stealth B-2 has reportedly dropped dozens of 2,000-pound bunker-penetrating bombs on deeply buried missile sites, while the larger bombers are capable of carrying payloads of up to 70,000 pounds to strike hardened military infrastructure.
Both American and Israeli commanders say the campaign is now entering a new phase after crippling much of Iran’s air defense network and gaining control of the skies.
Despite the sharp decline in missile launches, Iranian forces continue sporadic attacks across the region. Eight missile barrages were fired at Israel Thursday, though all were intercepted or landed in open areas. Since the conflict began Feb. 28, 19 Israelis have been killed and about 2,800 people have been displaced due to missile damage or interceptor debris.
Iran has also fired hundreds of missiles toward Gulf states hosting American bases, with the United Arab Emirates reporting seven missiles launched toward its territory on Thursday as the regional conflict continues to widen.
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