The War Enters Its Second Week — And It’s Only Getting Bigger
As the clock ticks past midnight on March 7, 2026, Operation Epic Fury — the joint US-Israeli military campaign against Iran — has officially entered its second week. And if anyone expected the pace to slow down, they were dead wrong.
President Donald Trump made his position crystal clear on Friday: the only acceptable outcome is Iran’s “unconditional surrender.” That declaration came just hours after Iran’s president revealed that unnamed countries had begun back-channel mediation efforts — a flicker of diplomatic hope that Trump promptly extinguished.
The numbers tell the story of an unprecedented aerial campaign. The US military has struck more than 3,000 targets since February 28. Israel claims to have destroyed 80% of Iran’s air defense systems and disabled over 60% of its missile launchers. According to CSIS, the estimated cost of just the first 100 hours of Epic Fury sits at a staggering $3.7 billion.
CENTCOM: ‘We Control the Skies’
US Central Command isn’t mincing words. In a statement released Thursday, CENTCOM declared that “US forces control the skies” as the Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group continues round-the-clock operations in support of Epic Fury.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth traveled to CENTCOM headquarters at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa on Thursday to meet with CENTCOM Commander Admiral Brad Cooper. The message from both was clear: the campaign is accelerating, not winding down.
“At the moment, we’re now up over 30 ships,” Admiral Cooper said during a briefing. “In just the last few hours, we hit an Iranian drone carrier ship roughly the size of a World War Two aircraft carrier. And as we speak, it’s on fire.”
Cooper added a chilling detail about the campaign’s expanding scope: “The president gave us another task to raze Iran’s ballistic missile industrial base. So we’re not just hitting what they have. We’re destroying their ability to rebuild.”
According to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), the combined force has now advanced to Phase Two of the campaign — shifting focus from suppressing Iranian air defenses and launch sites to systematically dismantling Iran’s defense industrial complex, particularly its missile production facilities.
Iran Fights Back — With Everything It Has Left
Iran is far from a passive target. A military source told Iran’s Fars News Agency on March 5 that Tehran had fired over 500 ballistic and naval missiles and nearly 2,000 drones since the war began on February 28.
The retaliatory strikes are hitting far beyond Israel. In a dramatic widening of the conflict, Iran has launched attacks on US bases and allied nations across the Gulf:
- Bahrain: Seven Iranian attack drones targeted residential neighborhoods. One was intercepted near Israel’s embassy. Britain deployed RAF fighter jets to defend Bahrain.
- United Arab Emirates: On Friday alone, the UAE intercepted 109 drones and 9 ballistic missiles fired from Iran.
- Saudi Arabia: Multiple attacks hit Prince Sultan Air Base and the Ras Tanura oil refinery. Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman warned Iran against “miscalculation.”
- Qatar: Forces intercepted a drone targeting Al-Udeid Air Base, one of the largest US military installations in the Middle East.
- Kuwait and Jordan: Both countries reported incoming Iranian fire targeting facilities hosting US personnel.
Six US service members have been killed in action so far. In Israel, Iranian attacks have killed 11 people since the conflict began.
Israel Expands the War Into Lebanon
The conflict has metastasized beyond Iran. Israel launched massive strikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs — the Dahiyeh district, a Hezbollah stronghold — after ordering an unprecedented evacuation of the area.
The Israeli Defense Forces said 50 warplanes participated in a strike targeting a bunker still being used by Iran’s leadership beneath the destroyed compound of slain Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Tehran. Meanwhile, Israel’s army chief of staff, Eyal Zamir, declared that Israel has entered a “new phase” of its offensive.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights warned that Lebanon is becoming a “key flashpoint” and called for an immediate cessation of hostilities. The Norwegian Refugee Council reports that 300,000 people have been displaced in Lebanon in just four days.
The Human Cost Is Mounting Fast
Iran’s UN ambassador, citing the Iranian Red Crescent Society, said at least 1,332 people have been killed in Iran since strikes began. Among the dead: Supreme Leader Khamenei (killed in the opening salvo) and more than 160 people in a strike on a girls’ school.
The UN refugee agency reports approximately 100,000 people fled Tehran in the first two days. In Lebanon, the health ministry reported 123 people killed and 683 wounded. Mehrabad Airport in Tehran was struck early Saturday.
Russia Is Feeding Iran Intelligence
Multiple news reports indicate that Russia has been sharing intelligence with Iran about US targets in the region. Secretary Hegseth responded that the US is “not concerned” and is “tracking everything.”
Britain’s decision to fly RAF fighters over Bahrain signals a potential widening of Western involvement beyond the US-Israeli coalition.
Economic Shockwaves: Oil Surges, Markets Tumble
Brent crude surged to $92.69 per barrel on Friday — up 8.5% in a single day and nearly 30% for the week. West Texas Intermediate topped $90 per barrel with its biggest weekly gain on record.
The Strait of Hormuz — through which a fifth of the world’s crude oil flows — is effectively closed. Maritime traffic has all but dried up. European and US stock indexes tumbled on fears the war won’t end quickly.
Trump’s Endgame: Regime Change
Trump has not been shy about his war aims. He acknowledged Iran could conduct retaliatory attacks on US soil, saying “some people will die. When you go to war, some people will die.”
Most provocatively, Trump declared that he must have a say in selecting Iran’s new supreme leader. Iran’s UN ambassador responded that new leadership would be chosen “without any foreign interference.”
The White House described Operation Epic Fury as having delivered “twice the air power of Shock and Awe” from the 2003 Iraq invasion. Senate Republicans blocked a War Powers resolution, giving the administration a free hand to continue.
The State Department has issued evacuation guidance for Americans in 14 Middle Eastern countries.
What Comes Next?
Phase Two — targeting Iran’s missile production infrastructure — is just getting started. Iran continues to fire back, but its capabilities are degrading daily. The big questions: Can Iran sustain retaliation? Will Lebanon become a full-scale war? What does post-war Iran look like?
The most significant military operation in the Middle East since 2003 shows no signs of slowing.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.