ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - Iran-aligned “terror groups” attacked US troops and diplomats over 350 times in the 30 months prior to the war, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) chief said Thursday, adding that proxies have now been cut-off from Iranian weapon supplies and support.

“In just the last 30 months prior to the commencement of Epic Fury, Iranian-supported terror groups have attacked US troops and diplomats more than 350 times the equivalent of an attack more than every third day, killing four US service members and wounding nearly 200 more,” Admiral Brad Cooper said as he testified before the Senate Committee on Armed Services.

He added that the attacks are “the equivalent of an attack more than every third day, killing four US service members and wounding nearly 200 more.”

"US Central Command was created in direct response to the threats posed by the Islamic Republic of Iran, and I am the 16th CENTCOM commander to deal with the Iranian problem set. For 47 years, the Iranian regime has terrorized the region and made hostility to the United States a core tenant of its rule."

Since the start of the US-Israel war with Iran in late February, Iran-aligned militias have repeatedly targeted US interests in the region, including in Iraq where Washington has attempted to dismantle the groups.

Bounties of up to $10 million have been offered for information on the multiple militia leaders and sanctions imposed by the US Treasury Department.

Last month, a US State Department spokesperson told The New Region that the offering of rewards of up to $10 million for information on Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada (KSS) chief Abu Ala al-Walai comes as part of efforts to “dismantle the Iran-aligned militias in Iraq and advance the US-Iraq relationship.”

On Wednesday, Reuters reported that both Saudi Arabia and Kuwait conducted kinetic strikes on Iran-aligned factions within Iraq during the war, coming after Gulf states that were in Iran's crosshairs became increasingly frustrated with attacks emanating from within Iraqi territory.

However, Iraq has a strange balance to keep in its relations with Washington and Tehran. The Iran-aligned groups like Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada have also been institutionalized and officially incorporated into the Iraqi state security apparatus as part of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF).

Iraq was the only country to see attacks carried out by both sides of the conflict on its soil, as the US and Israel targeted PMF positions while daily attacks were carried out on US interests.

“Today, Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis are all cut-off from Iran's weapons supply and support,” Cooper said.

He added that it is the “culmination of months of careful planning, built upon decades of experience” that led to the cut-off, adding that it did “not come without cost.”

“We honor the memories of the 14 service members who paid the ultimate sacrifice during Operation Epic Fury, and the two Soldiers and the one civilian killed in Palmyra, Syria. They represent truly the very best of all of us,” he said.

Iranian strikes on US positions killed 14 US personnel during the war, while an attack on a Peshmerga base in the Kurdistan Region also killed one French soldier who was part of the global anti-Islamic State (ISIS) coalition.

Separately, two US troops and one civilian translator were killed in an ambush by ISIS in Syria’s Palmyra desert in December.

Despite being territorially defeated in 2019, ISIS still poses a security threat across Syria, with the extremist group mostly resorting to hit-and-run attacks.