Inside 'Operation Epic Fury': Trump's Iran Attack
New details reveal the U.S. campaign against Iran, codenamed "Operation Epic Fury," began with a nine-word order from President Trump: “No aborts. Good luck.” The operation launched with a synchronized wave of airstrikes designed to overwhelm Iranian defenses. However, the stated objectives are reportedly shifting from counter-missile actions to degrading Iran's broader strategic capabilities.
The operation is a joint U.S.-Israeli campaign; Israel's component is codenamed "Operation Roaring Lion." The strikes on February 28 were preceded by months of escalating tensions, including a smaller-scale U.S. strike in June 2025, dubbed "Operation Midnight Hammer," which targeted Iran's nuclear facilities at Fordow and Natanz. This new, larger operation was reportedly fast-tracked based on intelligence that Iran's top civilian and military leaders were meeting. In the first 48 hours, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) reported striking over 1,250 targets across Iran. The targets were extensive, including Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) command centers, air defense systems, ballistic missile sites, military airfields, and naval assets. Notably, all eleven Iranian naval vessels that were in the Gulf of Oman were destroyed. The U.S. deployed a massive concentration of firepower, including B-2 and B-1 bombers, a range of fighter jets (F-15, F-16, F-22, F-35), and EA-18G electronic attack aircraft. Two aircraft carrier strike groups, led by the USS Abraham Lincoln and USS Gerald R. Ford, supported the air campaign with Tomahawk missile launches. The operation also marked the first combat use of the Low-Cost Unmanned Combat Attack System (LUCAS), a type of one-way attack drone. Iran responded within hours with its own pre-planned campaign, "Operation True Promise 4." This involved layered retaliation using missile and drone strikes against U.S. forward bases in Bahrain, Qatar, the UAE, Kuwait, and Jordan. Iran's strategy appears designed to demonstrate resilience and impose costs across the region while attempting to control further escalation. U.S. officials have framed the mission's goals as destroying Iran's offensive missiles, their production facilities, and their navy to ensure they can never acquire nuclear weapons. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth stated the operation is not "endless" and has a "clear, devastating, decisive mission" without nation-building ambitions. The initial Israeli strikes reportedly targeted meetings of high-level Iranian leadership. In a significant development, President Trump confirmed that Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed in the assault, a fact later acknowledged by Iranian state media. This leadership decapitation was a stated priority for Israel in the joint operation.
