Operation Epic Fury: Inside the U.S.-Israeli War on Iran That Is Fracturing the Middle East — and Washington

On the morning of February 28, 2026, at approximately 7:00 AM local time, the skies over Iran filled with American and Israeli ordnance. In what would become the largest B-2 operational strike in U.S. history, fourteen GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrators — the world's largest bunker-buster bombs — slammed into Iran's underground nuclear facilities at Fordow and Natanz [1]. Tomahawk cruise missiles destroyed the Isfahan Nuclear Technology Center. Precision strikes leveled the compound of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Within hours, a nation of 90 million people was decapitated of its most powerful figure, its nuclear ambitions set back by decades, and the entire Middle East plunged into a conflict whose end remains nowhere in sight.

One week later, the conflict has metastasized beyond anything its planners publicly anticipated. Iran is firing missiles at countries that did not attack it — at least nine nations have been struck. A British military base in Cyprus has been hit by drones. An Iranian warship lies at the bottom of the Indian Ocean. Both chambers of Congress have voted to let the president continue the war. Israel has opened a new front in Lebanon. And President Trump is urging Iranian Kurdish groups to mount a ground offensive from Iraq — while declaring that the United States "must have a role" in choosing Iran's next leader [25][26].

The Road to War

The path to Operation Epic Fury was paved over months of escalating tensions, failed diplomacy, and a White House that had been signaling its intentions with increasing clarity.

In early January 2026, Iran was already convulsing from within. Antigovernment protests that had raged for more than two weeks prompted authorities to shut down the internet nationwide. President Trump responded on January 2 with a threat of "lock and loaded" military intervention if Iran killed peaceful protesters, and by January 23, he announced that a U.S. "armada" — including the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln — was heading to the Middle East [3].

A direct military confrontation nearly occurred on February 3, when six IRGC Navy gunboats attempted to seize a U.S. tanker, the Stena Imperative, in the Strait of Hormuz [3]. Diplomatic efforts continued in parallel but made little headway. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi described a "historic opportunity" for a nuclear agreement as "within reach" on February 25, and a third round of indirect talks took place in Geneva the following day. The sides remained far from agreement [3]. One day later, Trump delivered a State of the Union address accusing Iran of reviving nuclear weapons efforts, and on February 28, the bombs began to fall.

The Opening Salvo: Killing the Supreme Leader

The coordinated U.S.-Israeli operation had two codenames — Operation Epic Fury (U.S.) and Operation Roaring Lion (Israel) — and four stated objectives, as outlined by President Trump on TruthSocial: preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, destroying its missile arsenal and production sites, degrading its proxy networks, and annihilating its navy. A fifth, political objective was stated openly: regime change from within [1].

The most dramatic achievement of the opening strikes was the assassination of 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Using CIA intelligence to pinpoint senior leaders' locations, Israeli airstrikes targeted Khamenei at his office within his residence compound in Tehran. Iran's government confirmed his death on March 1 [4].

The reaction inside Iran was starkly divided. President Masoud Pezeshkian described the killing as a "great crime" and vowed it would "not go unanswered." Yet videos circulated from Isfahan, Shiraz, Kermanshah, and Sanandaj showing Iranian civilians celebrating in the streets [4]. Under Article 111 of Iran's constitution, an Interim Leadership Council was established on March 1, consisting of Guardian Council head Alireza Arafi, Chief Justice Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje'i, parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, and President Pezeshkian [4]. But with Israeli strikes continuing to target senior military and political figures, who can effectively govern — let alone negotiate — remains an open question [5].

Israel escalated the air campaign in early March, launching what the IDF described as a "broad-scale wave of strikes against Iranian terror regime infrastructure in Tehran." Approximately 600 infrastructure sites have been dismantled in Iran using 2,500 munitions, the IDF said [27]. Targets included the presidential complex, the headquarters of Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting, and multiple IRGC missile production facilities in the Khojir area [27]. Iran's Foreign Ministry has claimed that U.S. and Israeli strikes have hit 33 civilian locations, including hospitals, schools, the Tehran Grand Bazaar, and the historic Golestan Palace — a UNESCO World Heritage Site [28].

Escalation: Iran Strikes Back Across the Region

Iran's response has been swift, far-reaching, and increasingly indiscriminate. In the hours and days following the initial strikes, Tehran launched dozens of ballistic missiles and drones at Israeli territory and U.S. military bases across the Gulf. The retaliatory fire struck not only the nations that attacked Iran, but also neighboring states — the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Iraq, Bahrain, Oman, Azerbaijan, and Turkey — drawing condemnation for targeting countries that had not participated in the offensive [6][29].

Gulf states report that Iran has expanded its targeting beyond U.S. military assets to include civilian infrastructure — hotels, airports, and energy facilities [17]. In the UAE, at least three people have been killed and 58 injured, with the UAE Ministry of Defense reporting that half a dozen missiles and 126 drones were intercepted in a single day [17][29]. Qatar reported 16 injuries and confirmed that its forces shot down two Iranian Su-24 bombers; the Al Udeid Air Base — the largest American base in the Middle East — was struck but sustained no casualties [29]. Kuwait reported 32 injuries and at least one death, Oman five injuries, and Bahrain four [17]. Bahrain alone reported intercepting 73 missiles and 91 drones [17]. Dubai International Airport and Abu Dhabi sustained direct damage from Iranian strikes [13].

Iran's fire has also reached NATO territory. Azerbaijan reported drones crashing into an airport terminal in its Nakhchivan region and near a school, injuring two civilians. A ballistic missile was intercepted by NATO forces in Turkey's Hatay Province, with Ankara warning it reserves the right to defend its territory [29].

The human cost to American forces continues to mount. Six U.S. service members have been killed, including four Army reservists — Capt. Cody Khork, 35; Sgt. 1st Class Noah Tietjens, 42; Sgt. 1st Class Nicole Amor, 39; and Sgt. Declan Coady, 20 — who died on March 1 when a drone struck Port Shuaiba in Kuwait [7]. Three U.S. embassies — in Kuwait, Lebanon, and Saudi Arabia — were shuttered, and the State Department ordered nonessential diplomats and embassy families to leave Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, and the UAE — the largest U.S. diplomatic drawdown in the Middle East since the Iraq War [18].

By March 6, preliminary casualty figures stood at over 1,045 dead and more than 6,000 wounded in Iran, at least 123 killed in Lebanon, 11 in Israel, and multiple fatalities across Gulf states, in addition to the six American soldiers [2][9][30].

A Historic Naval Engagement — and a Diplomatic Storm

In a moment that immediately entered military history, a U.S. submarine torpedoed and sank the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena in the Indian Ocean approximately 40 nautical miles south of Galle, Sri Lanka, on March 4. A single Mk 48 torpedo struck beneath the stern of the Moudge-class frigate, which had approximately 180 crew aboard. Sri Lankan Navy rescuers recovered more than 87 bodies and rescued 32 survivors, reportedly including the vessel's commander. More than 100 crew remain missing [10][19].

The sinking marked the first enemy warship torpedoed by a U.S. submarine since World War II and only the second ship ever sunk by a nuclear-powered attack submarine — after HMS Conqueror sank the ARA General Belgrano during the Falklands War in 1982. Defense Secretary Hegseth called it a demonstration of American naval supremacy [10].

But the incident created an unexpected diplomatic problem for India. The IRIS Dena had been participating in the International Fleet Review 2026, a naval exercise hosted by India at Visakhapatnam, and was sailing home when it was sunk in international waters [31]. India's opposition seized on the government's silence. Congress Party leader Rahul Gandhi accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of surrendering India's strategic independence, stating, "The conflict has reached our backyard, with an Iranian warship sunk in the Indian Ocean," while "the Prime Minister has said nothing" [31]. Neither New Delhi nor the Indian Navy has criticized the sinking, raising questions about India's claims to be a stabilizing power in the Indian Ocean region [31].

The War Widens: Lebanon, Cyprus, and the Kurdish Front

The conflict has opened a significant new front in Lebanon. On March 2, Hezbollah launched strikes against Israel, describing its action as a "defensive act" following the killing of Khamenei. Israel responded with a major escalation, launching strikes on Beirut's southern suburbs — the Dahiyeh, a Hezbollah stronghold — and issuing an unprecedented blanket evacuation order covering four major neighborhoods [30][32].

An IDF officer was seriously wounded and another soldier moderately injured by Hezbollah anti-tank fire in southern Lebanon — the first Israeli ground casualties of the wider conflict [32]. Israel also delivered mass displacement notices to more than 50 towns and villages in southern and eastern Lebanon, with over 83,000 people displaced before the Dahiyeh evacuation order [30]. The Lebanese health ministry reported 123 killed and 683 wounded as of March 5 [30].

On March 2, a Shahed-type drone struck RAF Akrotiri, the British sovereign base in Cyprus — the first direct impact of the conflict on European soil. The UK deployed HMS Dragon, a Type-45 air defence destroyer, while France ordered its nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle to the Mediterranean and Greece dispatched two frigates and four F-16s to Cyprus [20].

Most provocatively, Trump has opened the door to a potential ground front. When asked about Iranian Kurdish forces entering Iran from neighboring Iraq, Trump told Reuters: "I think it's wonderful that they want to do that, I'd be all for it" [25]. The statement followed reports that Iranian Kurdish militias have been consulting with the United States about whether and how to attack Iran's security forces in the country's western provinces [33]. A coalition of five major Iranian Kurdish parties — the Coalition of Political Forces of Iranian Kurdistan — formed on February 22 and has been training for such an operation [33]. An official with Komala, one of the coalition's constituent groups, said their forces are "ready to cross the border within a week to 10 days" and were "waiting for the grounds to be suitable" [33]. Trump also spoke directly with Mustafa Hijri, head of the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan, and reports indicate the CIA is negotiating with multiple Kurdish groups to aid in an uprising [33].

Trump's statement that the United States "must have a role in choosing" Iran's next leader — declaring "we're going to have to choose that person along with Iran" — further signaled an expansive vision of the conflict's political objectives [25].

Congress Votes: Both Chambers Reject War Powers Challenges

In a span of two days, both chambers of Congress voted to reject War Powers Resolutions that would have curtailed the president's authority to continue hostilities against Iran.

The Senate voted 47–53 on March 4, with Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky the only Republican to support the resolution, and Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania the only Democrat to vote against it [15][24].

The following day, the House rejected its companion resolution 212–219 in a narrower vote [34]. Republican Representatives Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Warren Davidson of Ohio broke with GOP leadership to vote in favor. Four Democrats — Henry Cuellar of Texas, Jared Golden of Maine, Greg Landsman of Ohio, and Juan Vargas of California — voted against the resolution, helping to sink it [34].

Massie and Rep. Ro Khanna, who co-sponsored the resolution, had forced it to the floor over objections from Speaker Johnson's leadership team [34]. Khanna argued that the resolution was about constitutional principle: "Whether you support or oppose this war, Congress should vote on it." Johnson called limiting presidential war powers authority during active hostilities "dangerous" [15][34].

The votes' outcomes were expected, but the narrow House margin — just seven votes — reflected genuine unease within both parties about an expanding conflict launched without a formal declaration of war or an Authorization for Use of Military Force.

The Strait of Hormuz: A Global Economic Chokepoint Closes

Perhaps no consequence of the conflict has been felt as immediately or as widely as the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz. The IRGC formally announced the strait's closure, where Iranian threats to attack ships have brought maritime activity to a virtual standstill [11][29].

Tanker traffic dropped by approximately 70% within hours of the initial strikes and has since fallen to effectively zero. Over 150 ships anchored outside the strait, while the withdrawal of commercial operators and insurers created a de facto blockade [11][12]. Brent crude surged 10–13% in initial trading and has risen 36% year-to-date, with analysts warning prices could reach $100 per barrel or higher [12][13]. Global stock markets declined, with the Dow Jones falling over 400 points. Airspace closures led to over 4,000 daily flight cancellations, stranding hundreds of thousands of passengers [13].

Competing Perspectives: How the World Sees This War

The conflict has generated sharply divergent assessments from every quarter.

The administration's case: Supporters argue the strikes were both necessary and overdue. Iran was within reach of a nuclear weapon, its proxies had destabilized the region for decades, and the regime's internal crackdowns demonstrated it would never reform from within. Senator Lindsey Graham called the operation "long overdue" [16]. The Foundation for Defense of Democracies catalogued strikes on missile, nuclear, political, and repression sites, arguing the operation is systematically dismantling the infrastructure of Iranian power projection [27].

The antiwar position: Critics in Congress and abroad contend the strikes were launched without legal authorization, without a clear endgame, and with shifting justifications that echo the lead-up to the Iraq War. Senator Chris Murphy argued that "we are watching in real time the same playbook" that led to two decades of war in the Middle East [15]. Trump's assertion that the U.S. must choose Iran's next leader, and his encouragement of Kurdish militias to open a ground front, have deepened concerns that the conflict is drifting toward open-ended regime change — the very outcome Defense Secretary Hegseth initially disclaimed [25].

The regional view: Gulf states find themselves hosting U.S. military bases that made them targets for Iranian retaliation, yet having had no say in the decision to strike. The Carnegie Endowment described the Gulf monarchies as "caught between Iran's desperation and the U.S.'s recklessness" [17]. Iran insists it is exercising its right to self-defence against an unprovoked attack, though its strikes on non-belligerent nations have drawn near-universal condemnation.

The European position: The UK, France, and Germany have adopted a middle path — refusing to join offensive operations while supporting defensive measures. Starmer's invocation of the Iraq War parallel reflects broader European wariness, and his explicit rejection of "regime change from the skies" stands in sharp contrast to Trump's stated ambitions [6][21].

India's dilemma: The sinking of the IRIS Dena as it sailed home from Indian-hosted naval exercises has placed New Delhi in an awkward position, caught between its strategic partnership with Washington and its economic ties to Tehran — while opposition leaders accuse Modi of silence as conflict reaches the Indian Ocean [31].

What Comes Next

Seven days into the conflict, its trajectory continues to expand. The war has achieved several of its stated objectives: Iran's nuclear infrastructure has sustained significant damage, approximately 600 sites have been struck, the supreme leader is dead, and Iran's navy has lost over 20 ships [27][29]. But the costs are accumulating — in American lives, in economic disruption, in a diplomatic drawdown not seen since the Iraq War, and in a widening theater that now stretches from the Indian Ocean to NATO territory in Turkey.

The potential opening of a Kurdish ground front represents a qualitative escalation. If Iranian Kurdish forces cross into Iran with American support, the conflict would move from an air and naval campaign to something with a ground dimension — a threshold no U.S. official has publicly endorsed but that Trump's comments have unmistakably encouraged [25][33].

Hegseth's acknowledgment that operations could last six to eight weeks — up from an initial suggestion of days — signals an administration adjusting to realities that keep shifting [23]. Reports indicate Iran made secret diplomatic outreach to the United States following the initial strikes, but the targeted killing campaign has eliminated many of the Iranian officials who might have conducted negotiations [5].

Iran's 90 million citizens, divided between those who celebrated Khamenei's death and those who mourned it, will ultimately determine their country's future. Whether that future emerges from the rubble of Operation Epic Fury through negotiation, further violence, or prolonged chaos may be the defining geopolitical question of 2026.