• What Happened: President Trump announced the U.S. has destroyed and sunk nine Iranian naval ships and largely destroyed Iran's naval headquarters as part of Operation Epic Fury.
  • Why It Matters: The U.S. is systematically dismantling Iran's ability to threaten the Strait of Hormuz, the world's most critical oil chokepoint, and three American service members have given their lives in the fight.
  • Bottom Line: Trump has made clear the mission continues until every objective is achieved, and he's personally calling on the Iranian people to seize this moment and take their country back.

America went to war with Iran's navy. And it wasn't even close.

President Trump announced Sunday that U.S. forces have destroyed and sunk nine Iranian naval ships as part of Operation Epic Fury, the massive joint U.S.-Israeli military campaign launched Saturday at 1:15 a.m. "I have just been informed that we have destroyed and sunk 9 Iranian Naval Ships, some of them relatively large and important," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "We are going after the rest. They will soon be floating at the bottom of the sea, also! In a different attack, we largely destroyed their Naval Headquarters. Other than that, their Navy is doing very well!"

CENTCOM confirmed the sinking of at least one vessel in detail: an Iranian Jamaran-class corvette, a 1,500-ton warship armed with anti-ship missiles, surface-to-air missiles, a naval gun, and torpedoes. It now sits at the bottom of the Gulf of Oman at a Chah Bahar pier. CENTCOM's message to the crew was two words: "Abandon ship."

Before Operation Epic Fury began, Iran had approximately 90 naval vessels including 25 submarines. The goal of the maritime campaign is clear: eliminate Iran's ability to threaten or close the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly 20 percent of the world's oil flows daily.

The operation has deployed overwhelming firepower from every angle. U.S. Navy destroyers fired Tomahawk missiles. B-2 stealth bombers dropped 2,000-pound precision bombs on hardened ballistic missile facilities. And in a historic first, CENTCOM deployed American-made one-way attack drones modeled directly after Iran's own Shahed drones, turning Tehran's signature weapon against them.

Iran tried to claim a victory it never had. The IRGC announced it struck the USS Abraham Lincoln with ballistic missiles. CENTCOM shut that down immediately. "LIE. The Lincoln was not hit. The missiles launched didn't even come close," CENTCOM posted on X. "The Lincoln continues to launch aircraft in support of CENTCOM's relentless campaign to defend the American people by eliminating threats from the Iranian regime." The Lincoln and the USS Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group represent the largest buildup of American firepower in the Middle East in a generation.

Three U.S. service members have been killed in action. Five more are seriously wounded. Their sacrifice will not be forgotten.

Trump has made the mission objective crystal clear. He is calling on Iran's military, IRGC, and police to lay down their arms and surrender in exchange for full immunity, warning that refusal means "certain death." He is simultaneously calling on the Iranian people directly. "I call upon all Iranian patriots who yearn for freedom to seize this moment, to be brave, be bold, be heroic, and take back your country," Trump said. "America is with you. I made a promise to you, and I fulfilled that promise."

Operation Epic Fury is not over. And based on everything coming out of CENTCOM and the White House, America is just getting started.