Overview
- President Trump authorized the February strike known as Operation Epic Fury after Pentagon and allied briefings persuaded him to proceed despite dissenting advice.
- Tulsi Gabbard told the president that U.S. intelligence assessed killing Ayatollah Ali Khamenei could bring a more radical leadership that would be likelier to pursue nuclear weapons and escalate regionally.
- Senior defense officials including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine, and CENTCOM’s Adm. Brad Cooper warned of large casualties, strained readiness, and limited munitions before the strike.
- Reporting says six months after the February attack large-scale clashes have paused but the conflict has left more than 3,000 dead including U.S. service members, damaged bases, depleted ammunition stores, and ongoing tensions over Iran’s nuclear sites and sanctions.
- Accounts say the IRGC has deepened control over politics and commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and that Washington is pursuing backchannel diplomacy even as the standoff continues and global energy routes remain at risk.