Operation Epic Fury, a large-scale U.S. military campaign in conjunction with Israel, launched on February 28, 2026. This operation aimed to target Iran's military and security infrastructure. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, during a press briefing at the Pentagon, expanded on what was attacked and America's intentions: "The mission of Operation Epic Fury is laser-focused. Destroy Iranian offensive missiles, destroy Iranian missile production, destroy their navy and other security infrastructure, and they will never have nuclear weapons. We're hitting them surgically, overwhelmingly, and unapologetically...Our ambitions are not utopian. They are realistic, scoped to our interests and the defense of our people and our allies."
America's Reasoning Behind Operation Epic Fury
The Operation Epic Fury tactical campaign was executed after extensive diplomatic efforts with Iran and after enduring 47 years of aggression that has cost over 600 American lives, according to the U.S. Embassy & Consulates in China database. A direct quote from Pete Hegseth, Secretary of War, was: "Peaceful nuclear ambitions do not need to be buried underneath mountains." This comment underscores the previous military operation, Midnight Hammer, from last June, where America used seven B-2 bombers and over two dozen Tomahawk drone missiles to dismantle three facilities in Iran that had stockpiled enough uranium to build nine nuclear bombs. After this encounter, Iran was warned not to rebuild their nuclear facilities, with Donald J. Trump saying during a press release with Israel’s leader: “I hope they’re not trying to build up again, because if they are, we’re going to have no choice but very quickly to eradicate that buildup.” Iranian officials have denied any intention to build nuclear weapons or establish new nuclear facilities, accusing the Trump administration of misinformation. However, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has been unable to verify Iran’s nuclear activities since the middle of 2025, having suspended field verification and monitoring of the region for safety after threats under the Iranian regime.
Iran formally suspended cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in July 2025 and has continued to deny access to four declared enrichment facilities. The director of the International Atomic Energy Agency, General Rafael Grossi, stated that his agency, “will not be in a position to provide assurance that Iran’s nuclear program is exclusively peaceful.” Inspectors from the IAEA have found consistent vehicular activity at the Isfahan underground complex and secondary enrichment facilities at Natanz and Fordow in satellite imagery since Operation Midnight Hammer. However, Rafael Grossi explained that without on-site inspection of the facilities at Isfahan, Natanz, and Fordow, it remains impossible to determine whether these movements are peaceful or intended to rebuild their nuclear capabilities. Operation Epic Fury's primary focus was on eliminating Iran's proposed nuclear threat, but the White House and Pete Hegseth also cited secondary factors. This included stopping attacks on U.S. American citizens who serve our country, from "car bombs in Beirut, rocket attacks on our ships, murders at our embassies, and roadside bombs," alongside ending Iran's brutal oppression of its own people.
Iran’s Struggle for Freedom
Under Iran’s now fallen leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, there was the use of Iran’s security forces to carry out widespread systematic violence against civilians during the protests that began on January 8, 2026. This caused Human Rights Watch and the United Nations to have documented evidence of crimes against humanity, including murder, torture, and rape, as a part of a coordinated attempt to silence protesters and their families. An emergency session was held at the United Nations Human Rights Council on January 23, 2026, because of this, in hopes of condemning the “brutal repression” which included the deaths of thousands of protesters. However, Iran rejected any interference and denounced the council as politically motivated, noting that Iran has its own accountability measures to investigate recent events. Ultimately, it was unclear who would cover the costs of an extended United Nations inquiry, and further investigation stalled.
A BBC News interview with an Iranian citizen who has lived in the U.S. for 21 years offers an inside look at what people in Iran might be thinking. “We've seen this before," Ali said — protests, promises, crackdowns — pointing back to 2009 and earlier uprisings in Iran.” He emphasized how each time people were slaughtered and the condition hardly changed, and that from his perspective, the Iranian regime could not be reformed, and without outside pressure, it could not be defeated. This was not a call for a full-scale invasion but reinforcement by target strikes aimed solely at state infrastructure and key leaders rather than civilians. Ali argued that attacking a regime at the request of its people was inherently different than attacking a country outright, with many of the Iranians he knows wanting some form of United States intervention, “Not because they trust American motives, but because they see no other way.” Videos circulating and verified by Reuters as geolocated to Iran seem to verify this and depict some level of support for America's action in killing Khamenei, with it showing dozens of Iranians cheering and dancing in the streets of Karaj, a city near Tehran. However, the story doesn't end there; other on-the-ground accounts, including Fathi, a doctor in Rasht, say, "It was one of the best nights, if not the best night, of our lives." This does not mean all Iranians are in support of Israel's or America's actions, but testimonies and videos do show that many value the elimination of the brutal dictator Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
However, Mohammad Reza Bahrami, Director General for South Asia in Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, responds with a very different perspective on Operation Epic Fury and how Iran intends to handle the growing conflict. "In response to this aggression, Iran exercises its inherent right to self-defense - a strategic necessity to preserve territorial integrity and national sovereignty. For my country, this war is a war of survival governed by limited red lines and strategic imperatives." He then elaborated that the need for genuine guarantees is required before any meaningful peace could be attained. "The Experience of two acts of aggression during nuclear negotiations and sanctions - in June 2025 and in February this year - underscores the importance of deterrent power and defensive readiness, making it essential that diplomacy is accompanied by operational capability." Therefore, Director General Bahrami remains steadfast in conveying the lengths Iran will go to maintain its military strength, even under the new supreme leader, Ayatollah Seyed Mojtaba Khhamenei, who is the son of Iran's previous Supreme Leader.
The Impact of Operation Epic Fury
America's death count has risen to 8 service members since the initial start of operation Epic Fury, including Sgt. Benjamin N. Pennington, Sgt. 1st Class Noah L. Tietjens, Maj. Jeffrey R. O'Brien, Chief Warrant Officer 3, Robert M. Marzan, Capt. Cody A. Khork, Sgt. Declan J. Coady and Sgt. 1st Class Nicole M. Amor. Only seven names are currently listed because the eighth service member's identity has not been publicly released and will remain withheld until 24 hours after the next of kin is notified. America continues to grieve the loss of these eight soldiers with the hopes that, as of March 11th, the number of deaths will stay at eight. Israel's loss of life has equated to 13 individuals. Still, at this time, we can only verify that nine of these deaths were civilians from the Iranian ballistic missile strike on central Israel's Beit Shemesh, as opposed to military personnel. However, Iran has faced a higher number of deaths at 1,255, according to Iran's deputy health minister Ali Jararian, who broke down this number to include 200 women, 168 children, and the remaining 877 to be men and military personnel. The surrounding areas have also not been spared, including Lebanon with 570 deaths, Kuwait with 6, Bahrain with 2, Oman with 1, Saudi Arabia with 2, Iraq with 15, and the UAE with 6 deaths. This indicates that it is not just America, Israel, and Iran that are locked into this burgeoning war, but also the surrounding regions and the lives of civilians.
What This Means for Shreveport
Shreveport is among one of the 15 most vulnerable cities to military attack due to its proximity to Barksdale Air Force Base. Professor Alex Wellerstein, a nuclear historian at the Stevens Institute of Technology, came to this conclusion based on population, geography, and military infrastructure. Iran has also proven that it will strike military bases, as shown by the 19 Ballistic missiles that struck the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar. This leaves the Barksdale Air Force Base as a high-value, semi-likely target, as it houses the 2nd Bomb Wing, Air Force Global Strike Command, and several B-52 bombers with both conventional and nuclear capabilities. We can only hope that Shreveport remains out of Iran's crosshairs and this conflict comes to a swift resolution that minimizes any further loss, but till then, our prayers and thoughts go out to those who have lost loved ones here and abroad.
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