By Diyar Guldogan
WASHINGTON (AA) - US forces have begun conducting their first overland B-52 bomber missions over Iran as part of Operation Epic Fury, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said Tuesday.
"Given the increase in air superiority, we've successfully started to conduct the first overland B-52 missions, which allow us, as we've before, to continue to get on top of the enemy," Gen. Dan Caine said at a news conference alongside Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
The US has struck more than 11,000 targets over the past 30 days, Caine said.
"Our joint force continues to focus on our military objectives as we systematically continue to degrade and destroy Iran's ability to project power and threaten civility beyond its borders," he said.
Caine said the US has taken out more than 150 ships in Iran's Navy.
Hegseth, for his part, said Iran will still shoot "some missiles, but we will shoot them down."
He said the last 24 hours saw the "lowest number of enemy" missiles and drones fired by Iran.
Regional escalations have continued to rage since Israel and the US launched a joint offensive on Iran on Feb. 28, killing more than 1,340 people, including then-Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Iran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries hosting US military assets, causing casualties and damage to infrastructure while disrupting global markets and aviation.