U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced on Tuesday that American forces successfully employed multiple 5,000-pound deep penetrator munitions against hardened Iranian missile sites along Iran’s coastline near the Strait of Hormuz. The targeted sites housed Iranian anti-ship cruise missiles that posed a direct risk to international shipping in the vital waterway.
National security analyst and retired Marine intelligence officer Hal Kempfer described the munitions as previously unused in combat, noting their specialized design for penetrating deep underground facilities, tunnels, and hardened bunkers. He highlighted ongoing U.S. research and development into such ordnance aimed at countering buried storage sites for drones, ballistic missiles, and other assets in Iran and similar locations worldwide.
Kempfer pointed out that the strikes targeted a coastal tunnel complex storing anti-ship cruise missiles, calling it a strong tactical application. He added that U.S. operations include heavy bombers, with B-1B aircraft conducting flights over Iran and B-52s operating in the region, potentially enabling more frequent sorties to degrade Iranian anti-ship capabilities once coastal air defenses are neutralized.
CENTCOM later posted a statement emphasizing its focus on well-defined military objectives: eliminating Iran’s ballistic missiles, drones, and naval threats. To date, U.S. Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps aviators have flown more than 6,000 combat sorties, maintaining air superiority over Iranian skies.
