Operation Epic Fury — The Military Scorecard
Operation Epic Fury, the US-Israeli air campaign launched on February 28, has dismantled much of Iran's missile arsenal, navy, and nuclear sites ahead of schedule using B-2 bombers, Virginia-class submarines, and Tomahawk cruise missiles. After 11 days of intense operations, Pentagon officials say Iran's Shahab-3, Sejjil, and Khorramshar ballistic missile stockpiles have been reduced by an estimated 60–70%, its surface fleet effectively neutralised, and its three declared enrichment facilities at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan heavily damaged.
US Central Command said in a briefing that over 5,000 strike sorties have been conducted since the operation began, making this the most intensive American air campaign since the 2003 invasion of Iraq. The B-2 Spirit stealth bomber, flying non-stop missions from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri, has reportedly delivered GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrators — the largest conventional bomb in the US arsenal — against hardened underground nuclear facilities.
Human Cost: US Casualties
The campaign has not been without American losses. The Pentagon has confirmed 7 US service members killed in action and 140 wounded, of whom 8 are described as seriously injured. Two F/A-18 Super Hornets were lost in separate engagements, one to Iranian surface-to-air missiles and one to a mechanical failure during a night carrier landing. The Iran Revolutionary Guard Corps has claimed significantly higher US casualties, a claim US officials reject as propaganda.
The School Strike Controversy
Controversy erupted on day one of the operation over the strike on the Shajareh Tayyebeh girls' school in southern Tehran. Initial Iranian state media reports claimed 34 students and teachers were killed; subsequent independent assessments by international journalists put the toll at 12 dead and 38 injured. CNN's military analysis team and the New York Times Visual Investigations unit both examined video footage and physical remnants recovered from the site, and each independently concluded that components consistent with a BGM-109 Tomahawk Block V cruise missile were present in the debris.
President Trump, asked about the strike at a White House briefing, denied US involvement. "We didn't hit any school. That's Iranian propaganda. We only hit military targets." The Pentagon issued a more cautious statement saying an investigation was "ongoing." Congressional Democrats have called for a formal inquiry under the War Powers Act; Republicans have largely defended the administration.
Iran's Posture and Ceasefire Talks
Iran's Supreme Leader issued a statement on March 10 vowing that the Islamic Republic would "fight for as long as it takes" and that no ceasefire would be accepted until all strikes cease. Simultaneously, back-channel communications through Qatari and Swiss intermediaries indicate Iran has signalled preliminary willingness to enter negotiations under certain conditions, though the gaps between the parties remain substantial.
President Trump, in a characteristically contradictory series of statements, told reporters on Air Force One that the war would be "very complete" and "end very soon," while posting on Truth Social hours later that Iran had "better stop" or it would "face destruction the likes of which it has never imagined."
White House Strategy Debate
Senior administration officials are reported to be divided over next steps. National Security Adviser Marco Rubio and Secretary of State Marco Rubio (no relation) are said to favour pressing the military advantage until Iran agrees to verifiable denuclearisation. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and several economic advisers are pushing for an exit strategy, arguing that oil prices above $95/barrel pose a serious recession risk and that every week of sustained conflict adds $40 to $60 billion in macroeconomic cost to the global economy.
