The United States Central Command said it has struck more than 9,000 targets inside Iran during an ongoing military operation that began last month, including dozens of ships.

According to a fact sheet released by CENTCOM, US forces have damaged or destroyed more than 140 Iranian vessels during the campaign.

The statement said the strikes were part of a continuing military operation using a wide range of capabilities.

The US military said the operation involved strategic bombers, fighter jets, drones and missile defence systems operating across air, sea and ground domains.

Regional tensions escalated on February 28 when the United States and Israel jointly attacked Iran.

More than 1,300 people were killed in the strikes, including Iran’s then Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

In response, Iran launched drone and missile attacks targeting Israel and Gulf countries hosting US military bases.

CENTCOM said 13 US soldiers have been killed and nearly 200 others injured during the ongoing operation.