Day 12 of Operation Epic Fury: Iran Lashes Out at Gulf Neighbors While Its Own Military Crumbles
In the most brazen escalation of the 12-day-old conflict, Iran launched drone strikes near Dubai International Airport — the busiest international airport on the planet — on Wednesday, while simultaneously attacking oil infrastructure across multiple Gulf nations. The attacks came as the United Nations Security Council voted 13-0 to condemn Iran’s “egregious attacks” on its neighbors, and U.S. Central Command declared that Iran’s military capability is being systematically destroyed.
Drones Strike Near World’s Busiest Airport
Two Iranian drones struck near Dubai International Airport on Wednesday, wounding four people, according to the Dubai Media Office. While flights continued operating, the attack sent shockwaves through the aviation industry and global markets. Firefighters later battled a blaze at a luxury apartment tower in Dubai Creek Harbor after a separate Iranian drone strike.
The attacks weren’t limited to the UAE. Bahrain reported Iranian-linked strikes targeting fuel tanks at a facility in Muharraq Governorate. In Oman, crews at the Port of Salalah fought a fire at fuel storage tanks. A cargo ship was also struck by a projectile in the Strait of Hormuz and set ablaze, with the crew forced to evacuate.
Iran’s strategy is clear: generate enough global economic pain to pressure the United States and Israel into ending the war. But so far, it’s backfiring spectacularly on the diplomatic front.
UN Security Council Delivers Rare Unanimous Rebuke
The UN Security Council voted 13-0 on Wednesday to approve a resolution demanding Iran halt its “egregious attacks” on Gulf nations — a rare display of near-total unity in the notoriously divided body. Even China and Russia, two of Iran’s closest allies, declined to vote against the resolution, instead choosing to abstain.
“The international community is resolute in rejecting these Iranian attacks against sovereign countries that are threatening the stability of the peoples, especially in a region of strategic importance to global economy, energy, security and security of global trade,” said Bahrain’s UN ambassador, Jamal Alrowaiei.
The Chinese and Russian ambassadors called the resolution “extremely unbalanced” for not addressing the U.S. and Israeli strikes that started the conflict, but their refusal to veto it speaks volumes about Iran’s increasingly isolated position on the world stage.
CENTCOM: Iran’s Combat Power Is ‘Declining’
While Iran lashes out at its neighbors, U.S. Central Command delivered a devastating assessment of the Islamic Republic’s military capabilities. CENTCOM Commander Admiral Brad Cooper reported that American forces have now struck more than 5,500 targets since Operation Epic Fury began on February 28.
The numbers tell a stark story of a military being systematically dismantled:
- Iran’s ballistic missile attacks are down more than 90% since the start of the operation
- Drone attacks have dropped approximately 85%
- The Iranian navy has been declared “neutralized” by the White House
- 16 Iranian minelaying vessels were destroyed near the Strait of Hormuz on March 10 alone
- The Shahed Aviation Industries Production Facility in Isfahan — which produces Iran’s most feared drones including the Shahed-136 — has been destroyed, confirmed by satellite imagery
“Hundreds of air assets continue to deliver devastating combat power against the Iranian regime during Operation Epic Fury,” CENTCOM stated on social media. Admiral Cooper described U.S. forces as delivering combat power with “lethal precision.”
The Staggering Cost of War
The first week of war with Iran cost the United States $11.3 billion, according to Pentagon estimates provided to Congress in a private briefing this week, as reported by the Associated Press. The military spent $5 billion on munitions alone during the war’s first weekend — an almost incomprehensible burn rate that underscores the scale of the operation.
To put that in perspective, the entire U.S. military aid package to Ukraine over the first two years of that conflict was approximately $44 billion. At the current pace, Operation Epic Fury could match that figure in less than a month.
Global Oil Emergency: Largest Reserve Release in History
With Iran effectively choking off the Strait of Hormuz — through which a fifth of all globally traded oil passes — the International Energy Agency agreed to release a record 400 million barrels of crude oil, the largest volume of emergency reserves in its history.
The United States separately announced it would release 172 million barrels from its Strategic Petroleum Reserve next week in a bid to calm markets that have been in turmoil since the conflict began. Oil prices remain elevated as traders weigh the ongoing disruption to one of the world’s most critical shipping lanes.
Iran has vowed it “would not allow even a single liter” of oil to be shipped to its enemies, but with its navy neutralized and its minelaying capability under constant attack, its ability to enforce that threat is rapidly diminishing.
Trump ‘Not Happy’ With New Iranian Supreme Leader
Adding another layer of complexity to the crisis, President Trump told Fox News he is “not happy” that Mojtaba Khamenei — the son of the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in the initial strikes on February 28 — was chosen as Iran’s new supreme leader.
The selection of Khamenei’s son suggests the regime is doubling down on hardline resistance rather than seeking a diplomatic off-ramp. The appointment of a family successor is unprecedented in the Islamic Republic’s history and signals that the remaining Iranian leadership sees no path to negotiation under current conditions.
Qatar also reported intercepting a missile attack on Wednesday, marking the first confirmed Iranian strike targeting the small but strategically vital Gulf state that hosts the largest U.S. military base in the Middle East — Al Udeid Air Base.
What Happens Next?
Twelve days into Operation Epic Fury, the conflict has settled into a grinding pattern. The U.S. and Israel continue to systematically degrade Iran’s military infrastructure from the air, while Iran retaliates by striking at Gulf oil infrastructure and commercial shipping — attacks that hurt its own regional allies more than its enemies.
The 13-0 UN Security Council vote signals that even Iran’s traditional diplomatic supporters are losing patience with its regional attacks. With its ballistic missile capability down 90% and its navy neutralized, Iran’s ability to sustain its retaliation campaign is diminishing by the day.
But the war’s economic toll is mounting on all sides. The $11.3 billion weekly price tag for the U.S., combined with disrupted global energy supplies, means the pressure for a resolution is building — from Wall Street to the Gulf capitals to the halls of the UN.
The question is no longer whether Iran’s military can survive this onslaught. It’s whether the regime itself can.