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, in a joint operation with Israel dubbed "Operation Epic Fury," has launched the largest concentration of American firepower in a generation against Iran, striking over 1,000 targets.
The extensive air campaign employs a diverse range of advanced assets, including various crewed aircraft, drones (like the newly deployed LUCAS), ships, and missile systems.
Key outcomes include the reported death of Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and numerous high-ranking military and intelligence officers.
U.S. President Trump has indicated a readiness to escalate the conflict further, promising a "big wave" of additional attacks.

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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.