As Operation Epic Fury enters its 33rd day, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has effectively seized control of the Iranian government — sidelining President Pezeshkian and isolating Supreme Leader Khamenei — while President Trump announces a prime-time national address and says the war could end within “two to three weeks.”
IRGC Power Grab: Iran’s Military Takes Over the Government
In what may be the most consequential political development of the Iran war so far, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has seized de facto control of the Iranian government, according to multiple reports citing Iran International and informed sources inside Iran.
The IRGC has blocked presidential appointments and decisions while erecting what sources describe as a “security perimeter around the core of power,” effectively sidelining President Masoud Pezeshkian from any executive authority. The Iranian president has been pushed into a state of “complete political deadlock,” with the Revolutionary Guard taking over key state functions that were previously under civilian control.
Perhaps most significantly, Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei — who took over after his father Ali Khamenei’s death — has reportedly been isolated behind a military council. The younger Khamenei has been notably absent from public view, communicating only through written statements. His fourth such statement, issued on Tuesday, praised the late Revolutionary Guard Navy chief Alireza Tangsiri as “a brave symbol of Iran’s Gulf presence.” Tangsiri was killed in a strike last week.
The IRGC power grab comes after weeks of US and Israeli strikes that have decimated Iran’s military and political leadership. According to CENTCOM, the US-led coalition has struck more than 8,000 Iranian military targets since Operation Epic Fury began on February 28. President Trump told the Financial Times the combined force has hit 13,000 targets total, with approximately 3,000 remaining.
Trump Plans Prime-Time National Address, Says War Could End in Weeks
In a major signal that the conflict may be entering its final phase, President Trump told reporters on Tuesday that he expects the United States to leave Iran in “two or three weeks” — even without a formal deal.
“We will be leaving very soon,” Trump said, adding that the US first needs to “knock out every single thing they have” before departing. He acknowledged, however, that it is “possible that we will make a deal.”
The White House confirmed that Trump will deliver a prime-time national address on Wednesday evening at 9 p.m. ET “to provide an important update on Iran,” according to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt. The address is expected to outline the administration’s timeline for winding down military operations.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has also signaled that the end of the war could be near, with Washington indicating potential for both direct talks with Tehran’s leadership and a winding down of the conflict. However, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi — who was seen attending a public gathering Tuesday night — has said he has “no faith in talks” and called US proposals “unrealistic.”
Strikes Intensify: Tehran, Isfahan, and Underground Targets Hit
Even as talk of a wind-down grows, the military campaign shows no signs of slowing. Powerful explosions were reported in Tehran and Isfahan on Tuesday, with Israeli strikes hitting several parts of the Iranian capital.
CENTCOM announced that US forces dropped precision munitions on underground military targets deep inside Iran “to further degrade the Iranian regime’s ability to project power in meaningful ways beyond its borders.” The strikes represent a continued effort to eliminate Iran’s ballistic missile and drone capabilities.
In a symbolically charged strike, an airstrike in Tehran hit the former US Embassy compound — the same building seized during the 1979 hostage crisis and controlled by the IRGC’s Basij force ever since. Witnesses reported blown-out windows surrounding the massive compound on Tehran’s Taleghani Street, though the missile appears to have struck inside the compound itself.
US-Israeli forces also struck a pharmaceutical facility identified as Tofigh Daru Pharmaceutical in Tehran. Iran’s Foreign Minister Araghchi posted a photo of the destroyed factory on X, writing: “The war criminals in Israel are now openly and unashamedly bombing pharmaceutical companies.”
82nd Airborne Deploys as Pentagon Prepares for Ground Phase
In a sign the conflict could be entering a dangerous new phase, thousands of US Army troops from the elite 82nd Airborne Division have begun arriving in the Middle East, deepening Washington’s military footprint in the region.
According to the Washington Post, the Pentagon is preparing plans for weeks of ground operations in Iran — a move that would mark the most dangerous escalation yet for US troops. If approved by President Trump, such an effort would be significantly more perilous than the air campaign that has dominated the first four weeks of the war.
CENTCOM Commander Admiral Brad Cooper visited deployed American service members this week, praising their “unmatched reach and lethality” and noting that every military branch is achieving major success. Cooper confirmed that the US military has struck more than 8,000 Iranian military targets, including 130 naval vessels.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, in his latest Pentagon briefing, declared that “regime change has occurred” in Iran, pointing to the decimation of the country’s leadership. He also revealed that B-52 bombers flew over Iran for the first time during the conflict.
Gulf Crisis Deepens: Oil Tanker Attacks, UAE Bans Iranians
The war’s impact on the Persian Gulf continues to escalate dramatically. Iran launched three cruise missiles targeting Qatar on Tuesday, with one striking an oil tanker off the Qatari coast. No injuries were reported as the tanker had already been evacuated.
A Kuwaiti oil tanker was also attacked — the latest in a string of assaults on merchant vessels by missiles and explosive drones in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz since the war began.
In a sweeping move, the United Arab Emirates announced that Iranian nationals are no longer allowed to enter or transit through the country. Dubai had already shuttered the Iranian Hospital and the Iranian Club — institutions dating back to the era of the Shah. The UAE’s air defenses have been working overtime, having engaged 433 ballistic missiles, 19 cruise missiles, and 1,977 UAVs launched from Iran since the start of the conflict.
Yemen’s Houthis claimed to have fired ballistic missiles at several targets in southern Israel in a joint operation with Iran and Hezbollah, while Israeli defense systems intercepted incoming missiles from Yemen.
Gas Prices Smash $4 as Oil Tops $100
The economic fallout of the conflict is hitting American wallets hard. US crude oil settled above $100 per barrel for the first time since July 2022, and the average US gas price has now reached $3.99 per gallon according to AAA — effectively crossing the psychologically important $4 threshold.
Oil is on track for a record monthly gain as the conflict continues to disrupt one of the world’s most critical energy chokepoints. Trump has promised that gasoline prices will come down once the war ends, telling reporters that peace will bring oil prices “tumbling down.”
White House Press Secretary Leavitt said that Trump is open to asking Middle Eastern allies to help finance the ongoing military operations — a move that echoes the cost-sharing approach used during the 1991 Gulf War.
NATO Allies Push Back: Italy and Spain Block US Access
The war is creating unprecedented fissures within the Western alliance. Italy has denied US aircraft access to military bases on its territory, while Spain has closed its skies to US military flights related to the Iran campaign. The moves represent the most significant NATO-allied pushback against a US military operation in decades.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has been working to develop a common EU-Gulf Cooperation Council diplomatic strategy focused on non-participation in the conflict. Greece has also stated it is not participating in attacks against Iran, even as it hosts critical NATO and US naval assets at Souda Bay in Crete.
The Eastern Mediterranean — home to NATO bases in Greece, Cyprus, and Turkey — has become a potential target zone for the Axis of Resistance, threatening the region’s tourism industry and security.
What Happens Next
All eyes are now on Trump’s national address Wednesday evening, which could signal the beginning of the end — or a dangerous new chapter — for Operation Epic Fury. With the IRGC seizing power in Tehran, the 82nd Airborne deploying to the region, gas prices crossing $4, and NATO allies breaking ranks, the Iran war is entering its most critical phase yet.
The key questions: Will Trump announce a ceasefire timeline? Will ground troops actually enter Iran? And with the IRGC now running the show in Tehran, who exactly would the US negotiate a deal with?
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as the situation unfolds.