Washington, March 5 : The United States has said its military campaign against Iran had struck more than 2,000 targets and severely degraded Tehranâ??s missile and naval capabilities, as the White House defended President Donald Trumpâ??s decision to launch Operation Epic Fury.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on Wednesday (local time) said the operation, launched last weekend, was aimed at eliminating Iranâ??s missile threat, destroying its naval capacity, and preventing the country from acquiring nuclear weapons.

â??Under the leadership of President Donald J. Trump, the rogue Iranian terrorist regime is being absolutely crushed,â?? Leavitt told reporters at the White House.

She said the United States had carried out strikes on â??more than 2,000 targets, destroying hundreds and hundreds of ballistic missiles, launchers and drones.â??

Leavitt said the operation had already crippled Iranâ??s ability to threaten US forces and allies in the region.

â??Itâ??s safe to say that, thus far, Operation Epic Fury has been a resounding success,â?? she said.

The White House said US forces had also inflicted major losses on Iranâ??s naval fleet.

â??We have destroyed more than 20 Iranian ships, including their top submarine last night using a torpedo for the first time since World War II,â?? Leavitt said.

She added that Iranian naval activity had effectively stopped in key regional waterways.

â??There is not a single Iranian ship underway in the Arabian Gulf Strait of Hormuz or the Gulf of Oman,â?? she said.

According to the White House, the military campaign has four core objectives: destroy Iranâ??s ballistic missile capabilities, dismantle its naval forces, weaken its regional proxy networks, and prevent the country from acquiring nuclear weapons.

Leavitt said Iranian missile attacks had dropped sharply since the start of the operation.

â??If you look at the Iranian ballistic missile launches, theyâ??re down 86 per cent from day one levels,â?? she said.

The White House also said senior Iranian leadership had been heavily targeted during the campaign.

â??49 and counting of the most senior Iranian regime leaders, including the supreme leader, have already been wiped off the face of the Earth,â?? Leavitt said.

She described the killing of Iranian leaders as necessary to protect the United States and its allies.

â??Make no mistake, killing these brutal terrorists is good for America and makes the world a much safer place,â?? she said.

The administration acknowledged that six US service members had been killed during the operation.

Leavitt said the government was mourning their loss and that President Trump planned to attend the dignified transfer ceremony for the fallen troops.

â??These heroes represent the very best among us,â?? she said.

The White House also said it was working to evacuate American citizens from the Middle East as the conflict continued.

â??Since the launch of Operation Epic Fury, more than 17,500 Americans have safely returned home from the Middle East,â?? Leavitt said, adding that â??over 8,500 American citizensâ?? had returned to the United States in the previous day alone.

Asked whether regime change in Iran was a goal of the operation, Leavitt declined to confirm that objective.

â??The goals of this operation have been made very clear,â?? she said, listing the destruction of Iranâ??s missile capabilities, naval forces, and nuclear ambitions.

However, she added that the United States supported freedom for the Iranian people.

â??As the president has said numerous times, do we want to see Iran being led by a rogue terrorist regime? No, of course not.â??

The Strait of Hormuz, located between Iran and Oman, is one of the worldâ??s most critical energy chokepoints, with roughly a fifth of global oil supplies passing through the narrow waterway.

/IANS