ISTANBUL 

US Central Command (CENTCOM) claimed Sunday it had destroyed the headquarters of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), saying a large-scale strike had cut off "the head of the snake."

The command accused the IRGC of killing more than 1,000 Americans over the past 47 years, adding that "the IRGC no longer has a headquarters."

Iran did not confirm the strike.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi acknowledged that the country's military command structure had been disrupted, saying units were now "independent and somewhat isolated" and operating "based on general instructions given to them in advance."

The claim came as the joint US-Israeli military campaign launched on Saturday entered its second day. The strikes have killed several senior Iranian officials, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Tehran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Gulf countries. Three US service members have been killed and five seriously wounded since operations began.