The death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s Supreme Leader, offers a new day for Iran and the prospects of peace across the Middle East. And it’s come as a direct result of precision U.S. air and space power.
“He was unable to avoid our Intelligence and Highly Sophisticated Tracking Systems and, working closely with Israel, there was not a thing he, or the other leaders that have been killed along with him, could do,” President Donald Trump posted Saturday afternoon.
The list is long: the B-2s of Operation Midnight Hammer, Space Force satellites tracking missile launches, the incredible hit-to-kill technology for exo-atmospheric intercepts, crystalline surveillance and teams of Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps fighter pilots on strike missions and drone zone defense.
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The astonishing blow of Operation Epic Fury is a surge of hope. Trump was right to seize the moment. The airspace of Iran was still laid bare after the attacks by the U.S. and Israel through 2025. Over the coming days, Operation Epic Fury must wipe out the remaining military capabilities of Iran. This is the way to build peace in the region, and to leave America free to concentrate on deterring China and safeguarding the home shores of the Western hemisphere.
Air Force F-22 and F-35 stealth fighters, along with two aircraft carriers, and more land-based fighters, are leading the most sophisticated air campaign ever launched by U.S. forces. The death of Khamenei is historic. However, the number one metric for success is the destruction of Iran’s military power. Here are the top three priorities as Operation Epic Fury unfolds.
The core military objective and the biggest target set is destroying Iran’s missile complex. You can see why; just look at the strikes launched by Iran at Israel, Qatar, the UAE, Bahrain and more. Left to simmer, it would have been the U.S. next. “They are trying to achieve intercontinental ballistic missiles,” said Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Missile targets are spread across the country, from the solid-fuel missile production facilities at Shahroud in the northeast to the cratered airbase at Hamadan, near Iran’s western border. Iran’s missiles can already reach Europe and the Defense Intelligence Agency estimated Iran would have an intercontinental missile to hit the U.S. within 10 years. With Operation Epic Fury, President Trump just saved your kids from worrying about a nuclear attack by Iran.
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Air strike campaigns are typically planned with three days of targets selected and forces allocated down to the tanker aerial refueling tracks. Expect at least three to four days to complete the first-round target set and bomb damage assessments. All aircraft rolling off the target after their strikes have immediate “gun camera” images of impact points, and the aircrews debrief on the mission and any threats encountered. Chasing any leadership “got-aways” and ensuring fixed site destruction could be a prime factor in how long Operation Epic Fury lasts.
Also, Iran’s salvoes against Israel, Bahrain, Qatar, the UAE and other locations are revealing more potential targets. Target sets expand as sensors pick up what the military calls “dynamic” targets — targets you see when they start shooting.
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With so many targets, it’s a possibility that some must be hit multiple times. An occasional hung bomb or near miss will lead to decisions about restrikes. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine and Adm. Brad Cooper, commander, U.S. Central Command, will be working 24/7 to steer the campaign — but they will take the time needed to finish the job. No one is running out of munitions. Don’t forget dozens of U.S. Air Force C-17 flights were tracked heading into Saudi Arabia and other locations recently. They were stuffed full of munitions and other supplies. They won’t run out anytime soon. For the Navy, underway replenishment ships are standing by, and larger missile reloads can take place at regional ports.
U.S. forces are playing offense and defense at the same time. Make no mistake. This is a combat zone. President Trump has been briefed on possible losses.
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Crucial to both offense and defense is the U.S. Space Force. Their satellites are the first alert against Iranian missile launches. Guardians have calibrated American space assets to sharpen precision weapons guidance and scramble up Iran’s efforts to employ drones and missiles.
Defense against Iran’s intermediate-range ballistic missiles comes from as many as 10 U.S. Navy Aegis-class destroyers with their Standard Missile SM-3 and SM-6 variants. SM-3s hit Iranian ballistic missiles at 65,000 feet up. Their job is mid-course missile kills when Iran attacks bases such as Al Udeid in Qatar. What if Iran takes a wild shot at a U.S. aircraft carrier? Doubt the Iranians can spot and target them, but U.S. aircraft carriers have blast-resistant, double hulls and layers of defensive tactics to chew up Iranian missiles or drones.
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Speaking of which, count on the U.S. Air Force F-22s, F-35s, F-15s and F-16s and the Navy’s F/A-18EFs and F-35Cs for drone defense. Their extremely sensitive radars detect drones and cruise missiles. Fortunately, U.S. Navy and Air Force pilots got plenty of anti-drone practice dealing with the Houthis and Iran over the last two years. Carrier Air Wing 9 on USS Abraham Lincoln bagged an Iranian drone with a Marine Corps F-35C stealth fighter back on Feb. 3. Adding Carrier Air Wing 8 embarked on USS Gerald R. Ford extended the Navy’s ability to maintain 24/7 combat air patrols.
And of course, Patriot and THAAD batteries at U.S. bases are the lethal “catcher’s mitt” destroying missiles headed towards bases.
While not a direct objective of Operation Epic Fury, these in-your-face strikes should scare China. Two Chinese warships sitting off the Strait of Hormuz will be trying to watch all this. They are seeing that the U.S. can wield stealthy, precision airpower along a 2,000-mile arc. For there is another strategic reality driving Operation Epic Fury. Trump needs to complete the takedown of Iran’s military capability now, so our military can concentrate on deterring China.
Iran’s murder of 32,000 or more of its own people hardened Trump’s resolve. Their foolish refusal to give up nuclear enrichment and missiles doomed the regime.
“They just wanted to practice evil,” Trump said Saturday morning.
That horrible chapter of Iran’s history is over.
