Chief national security correspondent Jennifer Griffin reports the latest on the conflict with Iran as about 1,500 additional troops and key staff are deployed to the Middle East.

Around 290 U.S. service members have been injured so far during Operation Epic Fury against Iran, U.S. Central Command spokesperson U.S. Navy Capt. Tim Hawkins told Fox News Wednesday. 

"The vast majority of these injuries have been minor, and more than 255 troops have already returned to duty," Hawkins added. 

The U.S. military operation, which was launched Feb. 28, also has resulted in the deaths of 13 American service members. 

Six service members were killed in a March 1 Iranian drone attack in Kuwait, while another service member died of injuries suffered during an Iranian attack on troops in Saudi Arabia on the same day.

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U.S. Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt II attack aircraft "have been used to strike Iranian naval vessels during Operation Epic Fury," CENTCOM said Wednesday, March 25, 2026. (CENTCOM)

On March 12, another six service members were killed when a KC-135 refueling aircraft crashed in western Iraq during a combat mission in support of Operation Epic Fury. 

The American military operation has inflicted heavy losses on the Iranian regime, including the death of former Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei 

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CENTCOM footage of strikes against airplanes during the war with Iran. (U.S. Central Command on X)

CENTCOM said Monday that over 140 Iranian vessels have been damaged or destroyed during Operation Epic Fury. 

In total, more than 9,000 combat flights have been conducted as part of the campaign. 

Two F/A-18 Super Hornets launch from the flight deck of the U.S. Navy Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln in support of Operation Epic Fury from an undisclosed location March 3, 2026. (U.S. Navy/Handout via Reuters)

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"CENTCOM forces are striking targets to dismantle the Iranian regime’s security apparatus, prioritizing locations that pose an imminent threat," CENTCOM said. 

Fox News Digital’s Stephen Sorace and Bradford Betz contributed to this report. 

Greg Norman is a reporter at Fox News Digital.

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