US attack on Iran progressing faster than planned, top Middle East commander says

US Commander in the Middle East Brad Cooper has stated that the US assault on Iran is proceeding faster than expected, Reuters reports.

Cooper noted that the first 24 hours of the operation “Epic Fury” against Iran were “nearly double the scale” of the first 24 hours of the 2003 “Shock and Awe” campaign in Iraq.

“We are seeing that Iran’s ability to strike us and our partners is decreasing, while our combat power is building,” the commander said. “My overall operational assessment is that we are ahead of our planned schedule.”

The ongoing war, now in its fifth day, has already shaken global markets, with nearly 20,000 flights canceled and governments scrambling to bring their citizens home from the Middle East.