Operation Epic Fury began on February 28, marking the start of a coordinated U.S. and Israeli attack on Iran, which multiple reports identify as the world's number one state sponsor of terror. According to research from four sources, Donald Trump ordered the launch of the operation last Friday afternoon while on board Air Force One descending towards Corpus Christi, Texas. The U.S. and Israel are attacking Iran, according to major media reports, with the operation involving the U.S.'s greatest strength and some of its most powerful weapons.
Trump was on his way to Corpus Christi to give a speech titled American Energy Dominance and had spent the three-hour flight chatting to Texas Republican politicians including John Cornyn and Ted Cruz about his options in Iran, according to research from four sources. Dennis Quaid was present on the plane in the countdown to Operation Epic Fury, and Cruz filmed Quaid sitting next to Trump, with Quaid reprising his role as Ronald Reagan in a 2024 biopic. According to The Guardian - Main UK, Dennis Quaid described Trump as 'like me on steroids'. Trump campaigned as a leader who would end America's 'forever wars' begun by Bush in Afghanistan, Iraq, and elsewhere, but has become the first U.S. leader since Bush to lead a regime change war against a major adversary, according to research from four sources. He risked all-out war with Iran in his first term by assassinating Qassem Suleimani in January 2020 and bombed Iran's nuclear sites last June in Operation Midnight Hammer.
The military impact has been severe, with major media reports stating that Iran's navy is gone, its air force is in ruins, and most of its leaders and the terrorist regime are dead. Iran's command and control of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is being decimated, and its ability to launch missiles and drones is dramatically curtailed, with its weapons factories and rocket launchers being blown to pieces. By the end of the first week, research from four sources indicates the U.S. and Israel had systematically dismantled Iran's military infrastructure and put serious pressure on Iran's long-range strike salvos. However, this depiction of near-total annihilation contrasts with other reports; Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said U.S. forces have delivered devastating blows to Iran's military, crippling key naval and missile capabilities, but without confirming the total destruction of Iran's navy or air force.
The scale of operations is massive, with research from four sources reporting that over the first seven days alone, the U.S. military struck more than 3,000 targets across Iran. As of the tenth day of the campaign, American forces have engaged some 5,000 targets, marking a hike in operational tempo, and the U.S. military has also hit more than 50 warships overall. Washington's target set prioritized the elimination of Iran's missile launch capabilities, military facilities, and command nodes tied to the Revolutionary Guards' strategic weapons.
Trump was 'like me on steroids'.
Specific military actions have included concentrated efforts by the Israeli Air Force, which research from four sources says focused on degrading Iran's air deterrent by targeting 10 of Iran's 18 air bases, cratering runways, destroying hardened aircraft shelters, and damaging or eliminating several heavy-lift and combat aircraft. The U.S. military has reportedly shifted from a reliance on long-range, standoff weapons to stand-in precision-strike methods using Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAMs).
U.S. military deployment involves significant naval movements, with research from four sources indicating the USS George H.W. Bush Carrier Strike Group deployed from Norfolk, Virginia, this week, with its final destination unknown but presumably the Middle East. The USS Gerald R. Ford is in Split, Croatia, to continue repairs following an onboard fire. One of four available U.S. aircraft carriers—the USS Abraham Lincoln—is deployed to support Operation Epic Fury, and it will be joined by a second one, while the USS George H.W. Bush has deployed and will reportedly join the operation, and it is still in the Atlantic.
The path to this conflict included a precursor operation in Venezuela, with major media reports stating the U.S. took the country of Venezuela in a matter of minutes with a quick, lethal, and violent hit. A key date in the path to war with Iran was 3 January this year, when U.S. special forces pulled off an extraordinary operation in Venezuela, according to research from four sources. The U.S. is now working with Venezuela as joint venture partners in the production and sale of oil and gas, making the U.S. totally independent of the Middle East.
International complications have arisen, as Spain has shut its airspace to flights involved in Operation Epic Fury, blocking U.S. jets from using it, according to major media reports. Spain's decision has complicated Trump's attempt to oust the Iranian regime and forced B-52 and B01 bombers to change routes, and Spain denied permission for U.S. fighter planes or refuelling aircraft to use bases in Cadiz and Seville. Spain will make an exception for emergency situations when its airspace is needed, but the closure has frustrated Operation Epic Fury for U.S. bombers flying from RAF Fairford in the UK to the Gulf. U.S. jets have been forced to fly around the Iberian Peninsula and refuel in the Azores, Portugal, when unable to fly over France.
In just days of Operation Epic Fury, you and your team have delivered nothing short of devastating, precise strikes taking out the better part of Iran's navy, making it combat ineffective, neutralizing missile sites and launchers and establishing total dominance over the skies.
U.S. official statements have emphasized the operation's progress, with Secretary of War Pete Hegseth saying U.S. forces have delivered devastating blows to Iran's military in the opening days of Operation Epic Fury, crippling key naval and missile capabilities. Hegseth described a fast-moving operation that has significantly degraded Iran's ability to threaten U.S. forces and regional partners. CENTCOM Commander Adm. Brad Cooper detailed the expanding maritime campaign, saying U.S. forces have intensified strikes against Iranian vessels, surpassing previously disclosed totals. Hegseth made clear the operation is not slowing down, warning that significantly more firepower is moving into the region.
The cost and strain on U.S. capabilities are substantial, with research from four sources reporting the first 100 hours of Operation Epic Fury cost Washington $3.7 billion. Operation Epic Fury is stressing U.S. military capabilities in ways that will impact other theaters, including efforts to deter Chinese aggression. Current B-1 bomber numbers in Operation Epic Fury likely break the post-Cold War record for a concentrated deployment in one theater, and the loss of an E-3 AWACS degrades U.S. early warning capability.
Regional protection measures are in place, as the ban on airspace has not extended to U.S. naval ships stationed in Rota naval base, which have played a crucial role in the conflict. USS Oscar Austin, USS Roosevelt, and USS Burkeley have been deployed to the Eastern Mediterranean to protect Israel from Iranian revenge strikes.
The Spanish government has taken a firm position, with Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez stating that Spain denied the U.S. use of Rota and Morón air bases for this illegal war and rejected all flight plans related to the operation.
We have only just begun to fight and fight decisively. The amount of combat power that's still flowing, that's still coming, that we'll be able to project over Iran is multiples of what it currently is right now.
Implications for Iran's internal dynamics and potential retaliation are significant, as research from four sources indicates the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) is tightening its grip on Iran's political system. A systematic Iranian campaign targeting the region's desalination plants looms as the most dangerous wildcard.
Several key unknowns remain, including the current status of Iran's political leadership and regime stability, and how many casualties have resulted from Operation Epic Fury on both sides. The specific targets remaining for U.S. and Israeli forces in Iran, as well as how other countries in the region like Saudi Arabia and Turkey are responding to the operation, are also unclear. The exact timeline and outcome of the U.S. operation in Venezuela mentioned as a precursor has not been fully detailed.
In an unrelated but significant development, NASA successfully launched a manned rocket that will travel further than any before, pass the moon, and return from an unprecedented distance, according to major media reports from three sources.
Additional context includes the extension of the USS Nimitz, which was set to be decommissioned in May 2026 but had its service life extended to March 2027, according to research from four sources. In the past four weeks, U.S. armed forces have delivered swift, decisive, overwhelming victories on the battlefield, according to major media reports.