U.S. Central Command Commander Brad Cooper [AFP Yonhap News]

Brad Cooper, the commander of the U.S. Central Command, accused the Iranian leadership of hiding underground and targeting civilian facilities, calling it a "sign that the Iranian regime is in a desperate situation."

In an interview with Iran International, an Iranian opposition media outlet, on the 22nd (local time), Commander Cooper stated, "Iran (its leadership) is in despair. In the past two weeks, they have intentionally attacked civilian targets more than 300 times."

This is the first interview Commander Cooper, who is directly commanding the U.S. military's "Grand Fury" operation against Iran, has given to a specific media outlet since the start of the conflict.

Commander Cooper analyzed that the frequency of Iranian attacks has significantly decreased as the war has prolonged, saying, "Dozens of drones and missiles were launched at the beginning of the engagement, but now it's only one or two at a time."

He further emphasized that the current U.S. and Israeli military operations against Iran are "ahead of schedule or proceeding as planned."

He specifically mentioned that Iranian missile and drone manufacturing facilities are concentrated targets, explaining, "We are not simply responding to today's threats, but eliminating Iran's future threats altogether, including not only drones and missiles but also naval power."

Commander Cooper criticized that while the Iranian military leadership is hiding in "deep underground bunkers," Iranian soldiers on the front lines are defenseless against U.S. and Israeli airstrikes.

He pointed out, "Based on what we have observed over the past week, there is a stark contrast between the Iranian generals enjoying safety and protection in deep underground bunker facilities near Tehran and the soldiers dying on the ground without any protection. The surviving generals are protected, but the common soldiers are abandoned," he stated emphatically.

He also urged Iranian citizens to "stay indoors because the Iranian military is launching missiles and drones from densely populated areas" and added, "We will send a clear signal when it is safe to come out into the streets, as suggested by President Donald Trump."