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The number of Iranian ballistic missiles launched since the start of Operation Epic Fury has dropped sharply, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine said Wednesday, as U.S. forces continue their campaign against Tehran’s military capabilities.
Caine said at a Pentagon press briefing that Iranian theater ballistic missile launches are down 86% from Saturday, the first day of fighting, including a 23% decline in the past 24 hours alone.
“Their one-way attack drone shots are down 73% from the opening days. This progress has allowed CENTCOM to establish localized air superiority across the southern flank of the Iranian coast and penetrate their defenses with overwhelming precision and firepower,” he told reporters.
Gulf states say they have intercepted hundreds of Iranian drones and missiles in recent days, including projectiles targeting civilian infrastructure and U.S. embassy buildings.
The United Arab Emirates said in a post on X on Wednesday that its air defenses intercepted eight cruise missiles, 175 ballistic missiles and 876 drones.
The attacks caused collateral damage and killed three foreign nationals from Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh.
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In response to the large-scale attacks, the UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait and the United States released a joint statement on Monday condemning Iran’s “indiscriminate and reckless” missile and drone strikes across the region.
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The countries said the strikes endangered civilians, damaged infrastructure and violated the sovereignty of multiple states.
“The targeting of civilians and of countries not engaged in hostilities is reckless and destabilizing behavior,” the statement reads in part. “We stand united in defense of our citizens, sovereignty, and territory, and reaffirm our right to self-defense in the face of these attacks. We remain committed to regional security and commend the effective air and missile defense cooperation that has prevented far greater loss of life and destruction.”
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