Operation Epic Fury is a major United States military campaign launched on February 28, 2026, against the Islamic Republic of Iran, under the direction of President Donald Trump and led by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. Executed by U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) in coordination with Israeli forces and support from partner nations including Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, the operation represents the most significant U.S. military action in the Middle East since the 2003 Iraq War. It is characterized by a massive, multi-domain air and naval offensive designed to dismantle Iran's military infrastructure as part of the Trump administration's maximum pressure campaign against Iran.

The mission was 'laser-focused' with clearly defined goals: to destroy Iranian offensive missiles, eliminate missile production capabilities, annihilate the Iranian navy, and ensure Iran never possesses nuclear weapons. Framed as a response to an imminent threat, it neutralized threats to U.S. and partner forces, including calls for Iranian combatants to surrender for amnesty, while explicitly excluding nation-building or democracy-promotion objectives. The operation commenced at 1:15 a.m. EST (9:45 a.m. Tehran time) following President Trump's 'no aborts' go-order after failed diplomatic efforts, including indirect nuclear talks in Muscat and Geneva.

In the initial phase, over 100 aircraft and Tomahawk missiles from naval vessels executed strikes, with more than 1,000 targets hit in the first 24 hours, over 1,700 sorties and 1,250 targets in the first 48 hours, and approximately 900 strikes in the first 12 hours alone. By Day 12, more than 5,000 targets had been struck. Israeli forces, under Operation Roaring Lion, conducted over 1,600 strike sorties and dropped about 4,000 munitions by March 3.

Primary targets encompassed Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) command and control facilities, air defense and radar networks, ballistic missile and drone launch sites, military airfields, naval vessels and coastal defenses, and nuclear-related infrastructure. The operation achieved leadership decapitation on the first day, killing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and senior IRGC commanders including Mohammad Pakpour, with Mojtaba Khamenei named successor. The naval campaign rapidly sank or damaged 20 Iranian vessels, including a submarine, the Shahidi Soleimani catamaran corvette, the IRNS Makran, and the IRIS Shahid Bagheri drone carrier.

U.S. forces employed advanced platforms such as B-2 Spirit stealth bombers with guided penetrating bombs, B-1B Lancers on extended missions, B-52H bombers, F-22 Raptors, F-35s, F-15Es, carrier-based F/A-18s, approximately 400 Tomahawk cruise missiles in the first 72 hours, HIMARS systems, and the first combat use of LUCAS one-way attack drones by CENTCOM's Task Force Scorpion Strike.

Iran retaliated with ballistic missile and drone barrages targeting Israel, U.S.-hosted Gulf states, and shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, including over 541 Shahed drones against the UAE in the first 48 hours, striking bases in Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, and the UAE, and killing at least one civilian in Abu Dhabi.

The operation, launched without congressional authorization, sparked controversies including accusations of a 'war of choice' amid ongoing diplomacy, violations of war powers and international law, domestic opposition with majority public disapproval and resignations, an estimated cost exceeding $11.3 billion in the first six days (with $1-2 billion daily burn rate), failure to address Iran's proxy networks, and international condemnation from Russia, China, and Turkey. As of March 2026, the operation remains active with no fixed end date, though officials stress it will not become an 'endless' conflict.