Central Command Says US Strikes Eroding Iran’s Ability to Project Military Power

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) on March 27 said that American military forces are continuing to strike targets inside Iran, which have weakened the country’s military.

“U.S. forces continue to eliminate the Iranian regime’s ability to project military power beyond its borders,” CENTCOM wrote in a post on X, including a video of what appears to be a U.S. military strike on an Iranian military building.

The U.S.–Israeli military campaign against Iran entered its 28th day as of Friday. Dozens of Iranian officials, including the country’s top leader, Ali Khamenei, have been killed so far in the operation.

The head of CENTOM, Adm. Brad Cooper, released a statement a day earlier saying that 92 percent of Iran’s large naval ships have been destroyed since combat operations started against the country on Feb. 28.

The strikes, he said, will continue, while he called on members of the Iranian navy to “immediately abandon their post and return home” to mitigate the risk of being killed or injured in the conflict. The statement was made to confirm the killing of the head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps’ navy during an Israeli airstrike earlier this week.

It also comes as Israel’s defense minister, Israel Katz, said on Friday that Israeli attacks on Iran “will escalate and expand.” He made the comment in a statement noting that he and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “warned the Iranian terrorist regime to stop firing missiles at the civilian population in Israel.”

Meanwhile, Iran’s grip on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has caused growing concerns of a global energy crisis and appears part of a strategy to get the U.S. military to back down by impacting the world economy. A Gulf Arab bloc said on March 26 that Iran is now exacting tolls from ships to ensure their safe passage through the waterway.

Talks between Washington and Tehran are still ongoing over reopening the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow passageway that normally carries around one-fifth of the world’s crude oil, said U.S. President Donald Trump.

Trump said in a Truth Social post that talks to end the war are “going very well,” but Iran continues to publicly insist it is not negotiating with the White House.  He also chided what he described as “Fake News Media” reports about the topic.

“As per Iranian Government request, please let this statement serve to represent that I am pausing the period of Energy Plant destruction by 10 Days to Monday, April 6, 2026, at 8 P.M., Eastern Time,” he said. “Talks are ongoing.”

Earlier this month, the president warned that he would direct the U.S. military to strike Iranian energy infrastructure if the strait isn’t reopened, initially giving a 48-hour timeline. He later scrapped the deadline and imposed a five-day deadline, although he’s said throughout this week that negotiations are occurring.

At one point, an Iranian state-run media outlet pushed back on a cease-fire plan with the United States and released its own five-point proposal that included demands such as sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz, among other terms.

On Friday, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards warned through state-run Tasnim News that civilians in the Middle East should keep away from U.S. military assets for their safety.

“We recommend that you urgently leave the locations of the American forces to avoid any harm coming to you,” it said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.