President Donald Trump announced that the Epic Fury Operation, the joint military campaign of United States and Israel against Iran, could last "four weeks or less," and in further statements, he extended that timeframe to "five weeks."
The operation, launched on February 28, continues its progress on the third day with a toll of hundreds of dead and an unprecedented regional escalation.
Trump described it as "one of the largest military offensives, complex and overwhelming that the world has ever seen" and claimed that it will continue "until all our objectives are achieved." At the same time, he noted that he could "end this in two or three days" if he decided to withdraw, but made it clear that he will not do so.
In the first 36 hours of the operation, more than 1,000 Iranian targets were attacked by air and sea, including nuclear facilities in Natanz, Isfahan, and Fordow, Revolutionary Guard barracks, air defense systems, and the Iranian naval headquarters. Trump stated that Iran's main nuclear enrichment facilities "have been completely and totally destroyed."
Among the most significant results of the bombings is the death of the Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of Iran since 1989, as confirmed by Iranian authorities themselves. The American president also stated that 48 high-ranking Iranian officials were eliminated and that "the entire military chain of command has disappeared."
Among the deceased officials are the Minister of Defense Aziz Nasirzadeh, the commander of the Revolutionary Guard Mohammad Pakpour, and the advisor Ali Shamkhani. Nine Iranian warships were destroyed and sunk, as confirmed by Trump through his Truth Social network.
On the third day of the conflict, this March 2, the Iranian Red Crescent reported between 555 and 600 deaths in Iran, affecting 131 cities. On the U.S. side, at least three military personnel died and five were injured. Trump vowed to avenge the fallen soldiers.
Israel mobilized nearly 100,000 reservists under its operation named "Lion's Roar" and opened an additional front against Hezbollah in Lebanon, where 31 deaths and 149 injuries were reported. The Israeli Minister of Defense Israel Katz described the joint operation as a "preventive strike" to "eliminate threats to the State of Israel."
Iran responded with missiles against East Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, and Haifa, and launched 15 cruise missiles at a U.S. airbase in Kuwait, in addition to attacking vessels in the Indian Ocean. The explosions spread to United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, and Bahrain, countries that host U.S. military bases.
The Saudi refinery of Ras Tanura, one of the most important in the world, was halted by an Iranian drone, worsening the global economic impact of the conflict. Airports in the Persian Gulf region also closed their operations.
Despite the magnitude of the attacks, the Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of Iran, Ali Larijani, firmly rejected any possibility of dialogue. "We will not negotiate with the United States," Larijani posted on X (formerly Twitter) this Monday, denying Trump's claims that Iran "wanted to negotiate." Larijani also accused Trump of having replaced "America First" with "Israel First."
Following the death of Jamenei, Iran formed a provisional tripartite Leadership Council consisting of President Masoud Pezeshkian, Judicial Chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, and Alireza Arifi, amid an unprecedented succession crisis in the history of the Islamic Republic.
Trump did not rule out the use of ground troops in Iran and urged the Revolutionary Guard to lay down their arms. A press conference was scheduled for March 2 at 8:00 a.m. local time, featuring Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine.
The Epic Fury Operation represents the largest direct military action by the United States against Iran in decades and the first that results in the death of the Iranian supreme leader. The Trump administration justified the operation by citing "47 years of Iranian aggression" and the imminent nuclear threat.
With Iran lacking a clear chain of command, without operational nuclear facilities, according to Washington, and with an expanding regional front, the conflict enters a phase of high uncertainty, the outcome of which will largely depend on the upcoming military and diplomatic decisions of all parties involved.
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