CENTCOM Says Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group Conducting Continuous Operations, ‘Squeezing Iran from the Sea’
US Central Command said the Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group is conducting continuous operations from the Mediterranean Sea as part of Operation Epic Fury, as US forces intensify naval pressure on Iran.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - The United States has intensified pressure on Iran from the sea, with American naval forces maintaining continuous operations as part of Operation Epic Fury, according to a statement issued by US Central Command.
The official account of US Central Command on the platform X said the Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group is continuing uninterrupted military operations from the Mediterranean Sea.
In the statement, the command said: “The Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group continues around-the-clock operations in support of Operation Epic Fury from the Mediterranean Sea. With another Carrier Strike Group in the Middle East, US forces are squeezing Iran from the sea.”
The statement indicates that US naval operations are being carried out continuously, with forces operating on a 24-hour cycle as part of the ongoing campaign.
The announcement follows confirmation by the US Department of War of casualties linked to the same operation.
On Thursday, the Department of War confirmed the death of Maj. Jeffrey R. O’Brien, 45, of Indianola, Iowa, who was killed on March 1, 2026, in Port Shuaiba, Kuwait, during an unmanned aircraft system attack while supporting Operation Epic Fury.
Maj. O’Brien was assigned to the 103rd Sustainment Command in Des Moines, Iowa. Officials said the incident remains under investigation.
In a separate release issued the same day, the Department of War identified Chief Warrant Officer 3 Robert M. Marzan, 54, of Sacramento, California, as the soldier believed to have died at the scene of the same incident.
Authorities said Marzan was present at the site of the March 1 attack in Port Shuaiba while supporting Operation Epic Fury and was also assigned to the 103rd Sustainment Command in Des Moines, Iowa. Officials noted that positive identification will be completed by a medical examiner.
As Operation Epic Fury continues across the region, US naval forces remain engaged in sustained maritime operations aimed at tightening pressure on Iran.