US Central Command says it has downed more than 200 Iranian drones in recent months

WASHINGTON, United States — WASHINGTON — U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said it has shot down more than 200 unmanned aerial vehicles belonging to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in recent months, as the command's chief, Admiral Brad Cooper, detailed an escalation of strikes against Tehran-linked targets across the Middle East. Cooper said the downed drones had threatened international navigation and U.S. forces in the region. He added that CENTCOM has carried out hundreds of precision strikes against targets tied to the Revolutionary Guard and has sunk Iranian naval vessels with what he described as exceptional tactical accuracy. The admiral said the destroyers involved had engaged in one of the most intense naval combat operations the U.S. Navy has faced since World War II. The remarks underscore the scale of U.S. counter-drone and counter-naval operations against Iranian-backed assets. No further operational details were immediately available.