Operation Epic Fury is no longer just a U.S.-Israel strike campaign against Iran — it’s becoming a multi-front regional war that’s pulling in countries nobody expected to be involved just days ago.
As the conflict enters its sixth day on March 5, 2026, the war has spread to Azerbaijan, drawn Qatar into its first-ever aerial combat engagement, left six American soldiers dead, and prompted Iran’s foreign minister to issue an ominous warning that the United States will “bitterly regret” sinking an Iranian warship in the Indian Ocean — over 2,000 miles from the original theater of operations.
And the U.S. Senate just gave President Trump the green light to keep going.
Azerbaijan Attacked: Iranian Drones Hit Airport and Village
In one of the most alarming escalations of the past 24 hours, Azerbaijan confirmed that Iranian drones struck its territory — hitting the terminal at Nakhchivan Airport and crashing near a school in the village of Shekarabad, injuring two civilians.
Azerbaijan’s foreign ministry issued a statement strongly condemning the attacks, summoning Iran’s ambassador, and reserving “the right to take appropriate retaliatory measures.”
The strikes mark the first time an Iranian drone has hit a country that isn’t a direct party to the conflict. Azerbaijan sits on Iran’s northern border, and the incident raises serious questions about whether Tehran is losing control of its drone operations or deliberately widening the war.
“We strongly condemn these drone attacks,” Azerbaijan’s foreign ministry said, adding that a “strong protest” had been lodged.
Qatar Enters Combat: Bombers Shot Down Before Reaching Al Udeid
In a stunning development first reported by CNN, Qatari fighter jets shot down Iranian bomber aircraft that came within minutes of striking Al Udeid Air Base — the largest U.S. military installation in the Middle East.
This marks Qatar’s first-ever aerial combat engagement, and the incident underscores just how close Iran came to inflicting catastrophic damage on American forces in the Gulf.
Al Udeid Air Base hosts the forward headquarters of U.S. Central Command and serves as the nerve center for Operation Epic Fury. A successful strike there could have been devastating to coalition operations.
Two sources briefed on the incident told CNN that Iranian bombers were intercepted just minutes before they would have reached the base, making it one of the closest calls of the entire conflict so far.
Six U.S. Soldiers Confirmed Dead After Kuwait Drone Strike
The Pentagon has now confirmed the names of six American service members killed in the conflict — all from a single Iranian drone strike on a command center at Port Shuaiba, Kuwait, on March 2.
The fallen soldiers include:
- Capt. Cody A. Khork
- Sgt. 1st Class Noah L. Tietjens
- Sgt. 1st Class Nicole M. Amor — from White Bear Lake, Minnesota
- Sgt. Declan J. Coady
- Maj. Jeffrey R. O’Brien, 45, of Indianola, Iowa — identified on Wednesday evening
- Chief Warrant Officer 3 Robert M. Marzan, 54, of Sacramento, California — believed to have “perished at the scene,” pending final identification
All six soldiers were assigned to the 103rd Sustainment Command based in Des Moines, Iowa. CWO3 Marzan’s brother, Vic Marzan, told CBS News: “My brother died for our country. He was a lifetime serviceman. Loved his family and country.”
The drone that killed them reportedly evaded air defense systems before striking the command center — a troubling sign for coalition force protection in the Gulf.
Iran Vows Revenge for Warship Sinking
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi issued the regime’s first official acknowledgment of the sinking of the IRIS Dena — an Iranian frigate torpedoed by a U.S. submarine off the coast of Sri Lanka on March 4.
“The U.S. has perpetrated an atrocity at sea, 2,000 miles away from Iran’s shores,” Araghchi wrote on social media. “Frigate Dena, a guest of India’s Navy carrying almost 130 sailors, was struck in international waters without warning.”
“Mark my words: The U.S. will come to bitterly regret the precedent it has set.”
The sinking — confirmed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth — was the first time a U.S. submarine torpedoed an enemy warship since World War II. Sri Lankan authorities said they rescued 32 critically wounded sailors from a crew of approximately 180, meaning at least 80-100 are presumed dead or missing.
The strike dramatically widened the geographic scope of the war, extending combat operations deep into the Indian Ocean — far from the Persian Gulf where fighting had been concentrated.
Senate Gives Trump Green Light: War Powers Resolution Killed 53-47
Back in Washington, the U.S. Senate voted 53-47 to block a bipartisan war powers resolution that would have required President Trump to seek Congressional authorization to continue military operations against Iran.
The vote broke almost entirely along party lines, with all but one Republican voting against the resolution and all but one Democrat supporting it. It was the eighth war powers resolution Congress has voted on since June — and all eight have failed.
The vote effectively gives the Trump administration a political mandate to continue and even escalate Operation Epic Fury without Congressional constraint.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt declared: “The United States of America has more than enough capability to not only successfully execute Operation Epic Fury, but to go much further. We have weapons stockpiles in places that many people in this world don’t know about.”
Iran Strikes Back — But Misses Its Targets
Iran’s retaliatory operations have continued but are increasingly showing signs of degradation. In one embarrassing incident, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed it struck a “U.S. oil tanker” in the northern Persian Gulf that was “on fire.”
Maritime security agency Vanguard quickly debunked the claim — the actual target was the Bahamas-flagged tanker Sonangol Namibe, hit approximately 30 nautical miles southeast of Kuwait. The UK Maritime Trade Operations office confirmed an explosion on the port side of the vessel that caused a cargo oil leak.
Iran has now hit at least five oil tankers in or near the Strait of Hormuz, and insurance companies have begun canceling war-risk coverage for the region. Maritime traffic through the strait has dropped by approximately 80%, and shipping has been paralyzed for five straight days.
Iran also deployed exploding drone boats for the first time — a new weapons system that ABC News described as being used “for the first time in war” in the region.
NATO Intercepts Missile Headed for Turkey
In another major escalation, NATO air defense systems intercepted an Iranian ballistic missile that was heading toward Turkish airspace. Turkey’s defense ministry confirmed the missile was launched from Iran, flew over Iraq and Syria, and was destroyed by NATO defenses in the Mediterranean.
According to the New York Times, the missile’s actual target was Incirlik Air Base — a critical NATO installation in southern Turkey that has long been a hub for U.S. and allied air operations in the region.
This was the first time NATO has directly intervened to defend a member state since Operation Epic Fury began — and it raises the question of whether a NATO Article 5 response could be triggered if Iran deliberately targets Turkey again.
An Ayatollah Calls for Blood
As the regime struggles to maintain coherent command and control, Iranian state television aired a message from Ayatollah Abdollah Javadi Amoli calling for “the shedding of Zionist blood, the shedding of Trump’s blood.”
The statement represents one of the few clerical messages to emerge from inside Iran since the conflict began — notably, the regime has been largely silent at the top since Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was reportedly killed in the initial strikes on February 28.
“We are now on the verge of a great test and we must be careful to fully preserve this unity, to fully preserve this alliance,” the ayatollah said.
The Big Picture: A War That’s Growing, Not Shrinking
Five days ago, Operation Epic Fury was framed as a precision strike campaign against Iran’s nuclear and military infrastructure. Today, the conflict involves:
- Combat in the Indian Ocean — Iranian warship sunk off Sri Lanka
- Azerbaijan attacked — Iranian drones hit civilian infrastructure
- NATO engaged — missile intercepted heading toward Turkey
- Qatar in combat — Qatari jets shoot down Iranian bombers
- Strait of Hormuz shut down — 80% traffic reduction, five tankers hit
- Kurdish ground forces — CIA-backed fighters entering Iran from Iraq
- Israel escalating — “broad wave of strikes” on Iranian infrastructure
- Six U.S. soldiers dead — with the Pentagon warning there will be more
CENTCOM Commander Admiral Brad Cooper stated that the U.S. military is conducting “24/7 strikes into Iran from seabed to space and cyberspace,” with over 50,000 troops, 200 fighter aircraft, two aircraft carriers, and strategic bombers all engaged in the operation.
Defense Secretary Hegseth’s message is clear: “Iran cannot outlast us.”
But with the war spreading to new countries by the day, civilian casualties mounting, and Iran’s retaliatory strikes becoming more desperate and less accurate, the question isn’t whether America can win — it’s how many countries will be dragged into this conflict before it ends.
Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney and Australia’s PM Anthony Albanese both called for “broader de-escalation” during a meeting in Canberra. But with the Senate having just killed the war powers resolution and the White House signaling it’s “just getting started,” de-escalation appears nowhere on the horizon.
Day 6 has begun. And the map of this war keeps getting bigger.