The US-Israeli military campaign against Iran has entered its seventh day with no signs of slowing down. As strikes intensify across Tehran and other Iranian cities, President Donald Trump is demanding nothing short of “unconditional surrender” — while a bombshell revelation about Russian intelligence-sharing with Iran has sent shockwaves through Washington.
Here’s everything you need to know about the latest developments in Operation Epic Fury.
Trump’s Ultimatum: ‘Unconditional Surrender’ or Nothing
President Trump made his position crystal clear on Day 7 of the conflict: there will be no negotiations with Iran until it agrees to unconditional surrender. The demand represents a dramatic escalation in rhetoric from the White House, which initially framed Operation Epic Fury as a targeted campaign against Iran’s military infrastructure.
“Iran is being demolished,” Trump stated, doubling down on the hardline approach that has defined the administration’s strategy since strikes began on February 28. The president also made the extraordinary claim that he wants to be involved in selecting Iran’s next leader — a statement that drew immediate comparisons to post-World War II regime change operations.
Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian fired back in a prerecorded address on Iranian state television, calling the US demand for unconditional surrender a “dream that they should take to their grave.” Despite the defiant rhetoric, Pezeshkian also offered what appeared to be an olive branch to regional neighbors caught in the crossfire.
Russia Caught Feeding Iran Intelligence on US Troop Positions
Perhaps the most alarming development came when multiple sources, including a senior US official, confirmed to CBS News that Russia is providing Iran with intelligence regarding US positions in the Middle East. The revelation raises serious concerns about the safety of American forces deployed across the region.
When confronted about the reports, Trump deflected sharply. “What a stupid question that is to be asking at this time,” the president told Fox News’ Peter Doocy during a White House event. “We’re talking about something else.”
The Kremlin, meanwhile, confirmed that Russian President Vladimir Putin held a phone call with Iran’s President Pezeshkian, “reaffirming Russia’s principled stance in favour of an immediate cessation of hostilities.” Pezeshkian reportedly thanked Putin for Russia’s “solidarity with the Iranian people.”
Russia and Iran have maintained a close military partnership for years, with Iran supplying drones used in Russia’s war in Ukraine. But openly sharing intelligence about American military positions marks a dangerous new chapter in the geopolitical standoff.
The Military Toll: Iran’s Navy ‘Combat Ineffective’
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth traveled to CENTCOM headquarters at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida, where he and CENTCOM Commander Admiral Brad Cooper delivered a stark assessment of the campaign’s progress.
“In just days of Operation Epic Fury, you and your team have delivered nothing short of devastating, precise strikes — taking out the better part of Iran’s navy, making it combat ineffective, neutralizing missile sites and launchers, and establishing total dominance over the skies,” Hegseth told Cooper during the briefing.
According to US officials, the operation has:
- Destroyed more than 20 Iranian naval vessels and a submarine
- Eliminated IRGC command and control facilities across multiple provinces
- Neutralized Iranian air defense systems and military airfields
- Targeted missile and drone launch sites, including production facilities
- Struck Iran’s space warfare infrastructure and communications systems
- Dismantled drone manufacturing facilities, including the HESA plant in Isfahan
CENTCOM declared that “US forces control the skies” and released video footage showing precision strikes eliminating Iran’s mobile missile launch capabilities. The Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group continues “around-the-clock operations” in support of the campaign.
Iran Fights Back: 500 Ballistic Missiles and 2,000 Drones
Despite the devastating US-Israeli campaign, Iran has mounted a fierce defense. According to Iran’s Fars News Agency, Tehran has fired over 500 ballistic and naval missiles and nearly 2,000 drones since February 28. The attacks have targeted Israel, US military bases in the region, and — in a significant escalation — Gulf state neighbors including Dubai and Bahrain.
On Day 7, Israel launched a massive new wave of strikes using more than 80 fighter jets, targeting Imam Hossein University in Tehran (which Israel says trains Revolutionary Guard officers), ballistic missile storage facilities, an underground command center, and multiple launch sites.
Iran responded with fresh missile salvos toward Israel, triggering emergency alerts across the country. Suspected Iranian missile debris ignited fires in central Israel, while explosions were heard in Dubai and Bahrain’s capital, Manama.
In a surprising move, President Pezeshkian apologized to neighboring countries hit by Iranian fire, calling the attacks the result of “miscommunication within the ranks” of Iran’s leadership. “From now on, they should not attack neighboring countries or fire missiles at them, unless we are attacked from those countries,” he said.
The Human and Financial Cost
The toll of the conflict continues to mount on all sides. At least 787 people have been killed in Iran since strikes began, according to the Red Crescent Society, including at least 175 who died in a single bombing incident. Six US service members have been killed, with Vice President JD Vance joining President Trump for a dignified transfer ceremony at Dover Air Force Base.
The financial burden is staggering. A CSIS analysis estimates the first 100 hours of Operation Epic Fury cost approximately $3.7 billion — roughly $891 million per day. Of that total, $3.5 billion was unbudgeted and will likely require a supplemental appropriation from Congress. The Pentagon has yet to ask for additional funding.
Both Trump and Hegseth have indicated the conflict could continue for weeks, raising the specter of costs potentially reaching tens of billions. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent went even further, telling Fox News that the US is preparing its “largest military strikes yet” against Iran, describing what’s coming as the “biggest bombing campaign.”
The Leadership Vacuum in Tehran
Adding to the chaos, Iran has delayed naming a successor to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was confirmed killed in the initial strikes on February 28. Iran’s Assembly of Experts — the body of clerics responsible for selecting a new Supreme Leader — has cited security concerns for the delay.
The leadership vacuum has created uncertainty about who exactly is directing Iran’s military response and whether there is any unified chain of command. Pezeshkian’s public apology to neighboring countries and his apparent contradiction of the military’s aggressive posture suggest a possible rift between civilian and military leadership.
Regional Fallout and the Strait of Hormuz
The war’s impact has spread far beyond Iran’s borders. The Strait of Hormuz — through which roughly 20% of the world’s oil supply passes — has been officially closed by the IRGC, threatening global energy markets. Oil prices have surged, and the UN has warned that the world economy is at “grave risk.”
Much of Middle Eastern airspace remains closed or heavily restricted, leading to tens of thousands of flight cancellations since February 28. The US State Department is actively helping Americans evacuate from over a dozen countries across the region, including Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan, Lebanon, and Israel.
In London, counter-terrorism police arrested four men — one Iranian and three dual British-Iranian nationals — on suspicion of spying on the Jewish community on behalf of Iran’s foreign intelligence service.
What Comes Next?
The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reports that the US-Israeli combined force has advanced to the “next phase” of the campaign, shifting focus from suppressing Iran’s immediate strike capabilities to targeting its defense industrial base — particularly missile production facilities. This suggests a longer-term strategy aimed at permanently degrading Iran’s ability to rebuild its military arsenal.
General Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, noted that US forces have transitioned from “stand-off munitions at range” to “stand-in precision strikes overhead Iran” — a shift that signals growing confidence in air superiority but also brings American aircraft closer to remaining Iranian defenses.
With Trump demanding unconditional surrender, Iran’s foreign minister rejecting negotiations, Russia openly backing Tehran with intelligence, and the conflict’s economic shockwaves reverberating globally, the path to de-escalation remains unclear. The only certainty entering Day 8: this war is far from over.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as the situation unfolds.