The Middle East is currently in the midst of a tense standoff, with the US and Israel launching a joint bombing campaign against Iran. Since the start of the operation, the US military has claimed to have struck over 2,000 targets in Iran, while Iran has responded by launching more than 500 ballistic missiles and over 2,000 drones. The scale of the operation is unprecedented, with Admiral Brad Cooper, the commander of US Central Command, stating that the first 24 hours of the joint operation was nearly double the scale of the 'shock and awe' strikes that began the US-led Iraq War in 2003. The mission involves over 50,000 troops, 200 fighter jets, two aircraft carriers, and bombers, making it the largest build-up by the US in the Middle East in a generation. American forces have destroyed 17 Iranian ships, sinking the entire Iranian navy. The focus now is on 'shooting all the things that can shoot at us', according to Admiral Cooper. The US and Israel have targeted Iran's air defenses and hundreds of ballistic missiles, launchers, and drones. In the past few hours, Israel has carried out a broad wave of strikes on Iran while simultaneously attacking Hezbollah in Lebanon. Israel also claimed to have intercepted more missiles fired from Iran and Lebanon. This ongoing conflict has raised tensions in the region, and the situation remains fluid as the US and its allies continue to respond to Iran's actions.
