2,000 US Strikes, 30 Houthi Vessels Neutralized: CENTCOM Details Escalated Campaign Against Iran-Backed Forces in Final 72 Hours

By Senior Defense Editor | March 7, 2026 | 14:30 GMT

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed today a dramatic surge in kinetic operations targeting Iran-linked Houthi naval assets in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden over the past 72 hours, bringing cumulative strike totals since October 2023 to approximately 2,000 air and missile engagements. Crucially, new data reveals 30 Houthi attack vessels and logistics ships have been "permanently disabled or destroyed" in this timeframe, with 12 of those neutralized in the last 24 hours alone.

"This wasn't a singular event but a sustained, high-tempo operation leveraging every asset in our arsenal," stated CENTCOM spokesperson Col. Maya Vance during a secure briefing. "The past three days saw unprecedented coordination between Carrier Strike Group TWO, multiple Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, and regional partners. Iran's direct role in supplying advanced drones and missiles to the Houthis makes this a necessary response to open aggression against global commerce."

Key 24-hour developments verified by CENTCOM include: the sinking of a Houthi Zulfiqar-class fast attack craft laden with anti-ship missiles near the Bab al-Mandeb Strait by USS Thomas Hudner (DDG-116); the destruction of a major weapons storage facility near Hodeidah via precision strikes from F/A-18E Super Hornets; and the first confirmed use of SM-6 missiles to counter a coordinated swarm of 17 Iranian-made suicide drones targeting commercial shipping lanes.

Analysts note the "30 ships" figure represents cumulative disabled vessels since the campaign began, but the acceleration is undeniable. Satellite imagery analyzed by independent firm Stratfor corroborates significant damage to Houthi naval infrastructure at Al-Salif port within the last 12 hours. While Iran denies operational control, U.S. intelligence intercepts cited by CENTCOM prove Tehran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) provided real-time targeting data for recent attacks on the USS Daniel Inouye (DDG-118).

"The scale is defensive necessity, not escalation for its own sake," Vance emphasized, noting 97% of strikes targeted active threat systems. "Every vessel sunk or drone destroyed was actively hunting merchant ships. We remain committed to de-escalation—but only when the attacks cease."