US Says 3,000 Iranian Targets Hit in First Week of War

Washington, D.C. (Diplomat.so) - The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) announced Friday that U.S. forces struck more than 3,000 targets during the first week of the escalating war with Iran, marking one of the most intensive American air-and-sea campaigns in decades as Washington moves to dismantle Tehran's military infrastructure.

In a statement released Friday, CENTCOM said the strikes targeted Iranian command-and-control centers, air defense systems, missile launch sites, and naval assets across multiple operational zones. The command added that at least 43 Iranian naval vessels—including ships and submarines—were damaged or destroyed in the opening phase of the conflict.

U.S. officials said the campaign is designed to rapidly degrade Iran’s capacity to launch ballistic missile attacks and disrupt maritime operations in strategic waterways. Military planners described the pace of operations as "sustained and coordinated,” involving precision-guided munitions and joint air, naval, and cyber capabilities.

Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump said he met Friday with executives from major defense manufacturers as the United States Department of Defense works to replenish weapons used in the ongoing operation.

"We just concluded a very good meeting with the largest American defense manufacturers, where we discussed production and scheduling,” Trump wrote on his social platform. According to the president, representatives from Lockheed Martin, RTX Corporation (the parent of Raytheon), BAE Systems, Boeing, Honeywell Aerospace, and Northrop Grumman attended the meeting.

Trump said the companies agreed to quadruple production of certain precision-guided weapons, emphasizing that the United States has "unlimited supplies” of key munitions currently used in the campaign. Defense analysts say ramping up production reflects expectations that the conflict could continue for an extended period.

The president also reiterated his demand for Iran’s "unconditional surrender,” clarifying in remarks to Axios that the phrase does not necessarily require a formal declaration from Tehran. Instead, Trump said it could mean that Iran’s military capabilities are so severely degraded that it is no longer able to fight.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News that Washington’s objectives include eliminating Iran’s ballistic missile threat, destroying its naval strike capabilities, preventing it from obtaining nuclear weapons, and weakening allied militant groups across the region.

In Tehran, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said several countries have begun mediation efforts to halt the fighting. Writing on X, he stated that Iran remains committed to a lasting regional peace but "will not hesitate to defend the dignity and sovereignty of the nation.”