2,000 targets hit and 17 warships sunk - this is the US tally four days after the start of the war with Iran. Admiral Brad Cooper, who heads the US Central Command in the Middle East, confirmed that the goal is to sink the entire Iranian navy. This means that the conflict will continue until "there is not a single Iranian ship" in the Persian Gulf.
Most US troops since the Iraq war
The US has concentrated 50,000 soldiers, 200 fighter jets, two aircraft carriers and numerous bombers in the region, Cooper added. Their goal will be not only to continue attacks on Iranian military and nuclear infrastructure, but also to ensure the security of energy supplies to the region, as understood from a post by US President Donald Trump on Truth Social. "The US Navy will escort oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz if necessary", he wrote. Iran controls the key artery that connects the Persian Gulf to the Arabian Sea and through which about 20% of the world's gas and oil trade passes.
The Israeli army also announced that it had carried out new strikes on Iran and Lebanon, where the pro-Iranian militia Hezbollah is based. Dozens of military targets in Tehran were hit, including the headquarters of the Basij, a paramilitary force linked to Iran's Revolutionary Guard, as well as missile launchers and defense systems, the Israel Defense Forces said.
Britain and France send ships to Cyprus
Iran responded with a series of strikes on US bases in the region, with one of the targets being "Al Udeid" - the largest US base in the Middle East in Qatar. Doha confirmed that there were no casualties in the strike. So far, Iran has fired about 500 ballistic missiles and over 2,000 drones. The Israeli military estimates that the Islamic Republic had about 2,500 ballistic missiles at the start of the war.
Meanwhile, after an Iranian drone struck the British military base "Akrotiri" in Cyprus, Britain and France responded by sending ships and heavy military equipment to the island nation. London sent the warship HMS Dragon, and Paris the aircraft carrier "Charles de Gaulle".
Will Khamenei's son be the new supreme leader?
Iran, which has officially announced that it refuses to negotiate, is preparing for the funeral of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. The senior clerics who must choose his successor are already holding meetings, and for the moment Khamenei's son - Mojtaba - seems like the favorite.
Israel has warned that he will also be a target. According to Defense Minister Israel Katz, any successor who continues "the plan to destroy Israel, threatens the United States and oppresses the Iranian people" will be "targeted for elimination".