CENTCOM Admiral Cooper: Iran ballistic missile launch rate down 90%, drone rate down 83% since Day 1

CENTCOM Commander Admiral Brad Cooper told CNN on March 15, 2026 (Day 16) that Iran's ballistic missile launch rate has fallen 90% since Day 1 of the war, and its one-way drone attack rate has fallen 83%. Defense analyst AJ Jaff provided more specific figures: Iran launched approximately 480 ballistic missiles per day at the start of the conflict; by Day 16 that figure had dropped to approximately 40 per day — a 92% reduction. Similarly, drone launches fell from approximately 720 per day to 60 per day — a 92% drop. US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth had previously announced on March 13 (Day 14) that missile volume was down 90% and drone volume down 95%. The consistent disclosures from CENTCOM, the Secretary of Defense, and independent analysts confirm that the sustained US-Israeli air campaign targeting Iranian missile manufacturing, storage, and launch infrastructure is achieving measurable strategic effects. CNN published a profile of Cooper on Day 16 titled 'The admiral navigating the battlefield — and the politics of Trump's Iran war', describing him as the operational commander overseeing the campaign. Source: CNN, March 15, 2026.