Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi cited a US report to counter claims of Iranian defenselessness, asserting that hundreds of US military sites were destroyed during recent conflict.

Damage Claims and Source Data

Araghchi posted on X on Tuesday that the narrative of Iran being defenseless is fiction. He stated that hundreds of US military sites were blown to pieces and dozens of aircraft were scorched. He added that this represents only the tip of the iceberg and promised further revelations.

The claim references a US Central Command report detailing damage from Operation Epic Fury. The report indicates Iranian strikes damaged or destroyed hundreds of buildings at bases in Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Oman and Jordan.

Aircraft Losses Detailed

Table 5 of the report lists specific aircraft losses during Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF). The data includes:

• Four F-15Es destroyed
• One F-35A damaged by enemy fire over Iran
• Seven KC-135 refueling aircraft damaged or destroyed
• One E-3 damaged by Iranian strikes
• Up to 30 MQ-9 aircraft destroyed in various circumstances

Escalating Tensions

President Donald Trump ordered fresh US strikes on Iranian targets earlier this month. The US military targeted Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps assets, including air-defense systems, radar sites, maritime equipment, mine-laying capabilities and communications facilities.

Iran responded with missile and drone attacks against US forces in Jordan, Bahrain and Iraq. Last month, US forces struck Iranian rocket launchers on Larak Island after detecting preparations to fire sea mines into the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran was also reportedly considering expanding potential attacks to US military assets in southeastern Europe, including Bulgaria’s Bezmer air base and facilities in Cyprus. Iranian forces had also considered targeting subsea fiber-optic cables in the Strait of Hormuz if the conflict escalated.

US Vice President JD Vance outlined a two-phase strategy targeting Iran's nuclear program and military capabilities, while noting that commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has recovered significantly.

Vance stated that the US is "not engaged in aggressive operations" and reported that traffic through the strategic waterway has returned to "well over 50% of normal traffic," despite continued Iranian attacks on commercial shipping.

Two-phase framework explained

Vance described the first phase as focused on destroying Iran's nuclear program, its conventional military, and its ability to project power. The second phase centres on ensuring that Iran is "not able to rebuild" while maintaining global stability.

Key elements of the stated approach

The two phases, as described by Vance, can be summarised as follows:

• Phase one targets Iran's nuclear capabilities, its conventional armed forces, and its regional power projection.
• Phase two focuses on preventing reconstitution of those capabilities alongside preserving broader global stability.

Maritime context

Addressing the impact on global trade routes, Vance highlighted the resilience of maritime logistics in the region. He noted that despite ongoing hostilities involving Iranian attacks on commercial vessels, the flow of goods through the Strait of Hormuz has stabilised at more than half of its pre-conflict volume.