The Aircraft Behind the U.S. Strikes on Iran

CENTCOM forces have hit over 1,000 targets inside the country so far.

Zach Vasile

Monday, March 02, 2026 at 04:50 PM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

U.S. aircraft taking part in Operation Epic Fury [Credit: U.S. Central Command]

Key Takeaways:

The U.S. military has launched "Operation Epic Fury," a large-scale air campaign against Iran, deploying an unprecedented concentration of diverse assets including crewed aircraft, drones, ships, and missile systems.
Over 1,000 targets inside Iran have been struck, targeting military infrastructure, command centers, and regime figures, reportedly resulting in the death of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
The joint offensive with Israel has seen the combat debut of new weapons like the LUCAS one-way attack drone, and the U.S. has indicated a readiness for further escalation.

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The U.S. military is using a wide range of crewed aircraft, drones, ships, and missile systems in its air campaign against Iran, amounting to the largest regional concentration of American firepower “in a generation,” according to U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM).

In an overview released Sunday, military officials said over 1,000 targets have been struck inside Iran since Operation Epic Fury began Saturday morning. Among the aircraft taking part in the operation are B-2 stealth bombers, F-16s, F-18s, F-22s, A-10 Warthogs, F-35s, and EA-18G electronic attack airplanes.