Day 18: Cracks Emerge in Washington as Iran Digs In
The war with Iran entered its 18th day on Tuesday with a bombshell resignation inside the Trump administration, a widening rift with NATO allies, and a defiant message from Iran’s new supreme leader that peace is off the table — all while Israeli forces claimed another major kill and missiles continued to rain across the Middle East.
Joe Kent Resigns: ‘Iran Is Not a Threat’
In what may be the most significant internal challenge to Operation Epic Fury so far, Joe Kent — the director of the National Counterterrorism Center and a decorated military veteran hand-picked by President Trump — announced his resignation on Tuesday, posting his resignation letter on X.
Kent, a former Green Beret whose wife was killed in a 2019 ISIS attack in Syria, had been one of Trump’s most loyal appointees. His departure is seismic precisely because of that loyalty.
In his letter, Kent directly contradicted the administration’s justification for the war, writing that Iran posed “no imminent threat” to the United States and urging Trump to “reverse course.” He also cited what he called Israel’s outsized influence over the administration’s war policies — a remarkable accusation from inside the intelligence community.
CNN, NPR, the BBC, the New York Times, and the Washington Post all confirmed the resignation within hours of each other. Trump responded on social media by calling Kent’s departure “unfortunate” but insisting the war effort remains strong.
The resignation represents the first major crack in the administration’s united front on Iran and could embolden congressional critics who have so far been unable to gain traction. A prior House resolution to invoke the War Powers Act failed in a narrow 212–219 vote earlier this month.
Trump vs. NATO: ‘We Don’t Need Any Help’
The diplomatic fallout widened dramatically on Tuesday as Trump confirmed that most NATO allies have informed the United States they don’t want to get involved in helping reopen the Strait of Hormuz — the critical chokepoint through which roughly 20% of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas flows.
Trump initially demanded that allied nations send warships to escort tankers through the strait, which Iran has effectively blockaded since the war began. Japan, Australia, South Korea, and most European NATO members have declined.
In a characteristic reversal, Trump went from fury to defiance in the span of 24 hours. After calling NATO’s refusal “a very foolish mistake” that would give the alliance “a very bad future,” he pivoted to declare: “Because of the fact that we have had such Military Success, we no longer ‘need,’ or desire, the NATO Countries’ assistance — WE NEVER DID!”
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas was blunt in her response, telling Reuters: “Nobody is ready to risk the lives of their people in protecting the strait.” She called for diplomatic solutions to prevent the crisis from spiraling into a global food, fertilizer, and energy catastrophe.
The isolation is notable. Since Operation Epic Fury launched on February 28, the United States and Israel have conducted the campaign largely alone, with no coalition of the willing emerging despite the enormous global economic consequences.
Iran’s New Supreme Leader: ‘Not the Right Time for Peace’
Any hopes that Iran’s new leadership might be open to negotiations were crushed on Tuesday. A senior Iranian official, speaking on condition of anonymity, revealed that Mojtaba Khamenei — the son of slain Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei who was named his successor last week — has rejected all de-escalation proposals conveyed through intermediary countries.
According to the official, the younger Khamenei held his first foreign policy session since assuming power and declared it was “not the right time for peace until the United States and Israel are brought to their knees, accept defeat, and pay compensation.”
It remains unclear whether Mojtaba Khamenei attended the meeting in person or remotely — he has not appeared in photos or on television since being named supreme leader. His defiant stance signals that Iran intends to fight on despite devastating losses to its military infrastructure and senior leadership.
Reports had earlier emerged that Iran’s Foreign Minister had contacted Steve Witkoff, the U.S. special envoy, about potentially ending hostilities — but the supreme leader’s rejection appears to have shut that channel down.
Israel Kills Iran’s Security Chief Ali Larijani
Israeli forces claimed another high-profile scalp on Tuesday. The Israeli military announced it had killed Ali Larijani, the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, in an airstrike in Tehran. If confirmed, Larijani would be the most senior figure killed since the war’s opening day, when the elder Khamenei and other top officials were eliminated.
Larijani was widely regarded as one of Iran’s most powerful figures — a confidant of the slain supreme leader who was known for his pragmatic approach to factional politics. His death removes one of the few remaining figures who might have facilitated internal consensus for negotiations.
Shortly after, Israel also announced it had killed Gholamreza Soleimani, the head of Iran’s Basij paramilitary militia — a million-strong force tied to the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps that plays a central role in domestic security and suppressing dissent. Iranian state media confirmed Soleimani’s death but notably did not comment on Larijani’s status.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pulled a small card from his suit jacket pocket in a video posted to social media and said: “Today I erased two names on the punch card, and you see how many more to go on this batch.”
The Hormuz Crisis Deepens
On the ground and at sea, the situation continues to deteriorate. Oil prices surged another 3% on Tuesday — now up approximately 45% since the war began — as Iran renewed strikes on oil facilities in the United Arab Emirates.
Key developments on the energy front:
- Fujairah port — located on the far side of the Strait of Hormuz and one of the few ports that can ship oil without passing through the blockaded waterway — was hit for the third time in four days, halting oil loading operations.
- Abu Dhabi’s Shah gas field was struck by a drone attack, causing a fire.
- Intercepted ballistic missile debris fell in Abu Dhabi’s Bani Yas area, killing one Pakistani national.
- A tanker near the UAE was struck early Tuesday — the first shipping attack in five days. At least 17 vessels have been hit since the war began.
- Gulf oil producers are scrambling to reroute crude through Saudi and UAE bypass pipelines, driving Red Sea shipments higher as tankers queue offshore.
The World Food Programme warned that tens of millions of people will face acute hunger if the war continues through June.
The War Cost: $16.5 Billion and Counting
According to an updated estimate from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), Operation Epic Fury has cost an estimated $16.5 billion through its first 12 days. The initial 100-hour estimate was $3.7 billion. With the operation now entering its third week and additional B-52 bombers, F-35s, and a Marine Expeditionary Unit deploying to the region, costs are accelerating.
CENTCOM Commander Admiral Brad Cooper stated on March 16 that U.S. strikes have shifted from neutralizing immediate missile and drone threats to targeting Iran’s “wider manufacturing apparatus” and defense industrial base — including a military depot in Yazd associated with “IRGC missile command infrastructure” used to build torpedoes, and a drone facility in South Khorasan Province in one of the easternmost strikes since the war began.
Missiles Still Flying: Air Raid Sirens in Tel Aviv
Despite more than two weeks of sustained bombardment, Iran’s capacity to strike back remains intact. Air raid sirens sounded throughout Tuesday in Tel Aviv and surrounding cities, with loud blasts from interceptions heard as far away as Jerusalem. Iranian missile attacks have killed 12 people in Israel since the war began.
Iran-allied militias also claimed two strikes on a U.S. target in Baghdad, though Iraq said both were intercepted. The attacks near the U.S. Embassy underscore how the conflict has spread well beyond Iran’s borders.
Gulf Arab states have now faced more than 2,000 missile and drone attacks on U.S. diplomatic missions, military bases, oil infrastructure, ports, airports, ships, and civilian buildings.
Lebanon Front Expands
The Israeli military announced it is expanding its ground assault in southern Lebanon against the Iran-backed Hezbollah armed group. More than 900 people have died since Israel began attacks on Lebanon on March 2, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry. A Middle East Airlines plane was photographed taking off from Beirut’s Rafik Hariri International Airport as smoke rose from Israeli strikes in Dahiyeh, Beirut’s southern suburbs.
Where This Goes
Day 18 of Operation Epic Fury has laid bare the contradictions of the current moment. The U.S. is achieving tactical military success — systematically dismantling Iran’s defense infrastructure and eliminating senior leaders — but strategically, the picture is far more complicated.
The Kent resignation signals that not everyone in Trump’s own camp believes the war is justified. NATO’s refusal to help with Hormuz leaves the U.S. diplomatically isolated on the global stage. And Iran’s new supreme leader has made clear there will be no quick diplomatic off-ramp.
With oil prices soaring, global supply chains fracturing, and the conflict spreading to Lebanon, Iraq, and the Gulf states, the question is no longer whether Operation Epic Fury can destroy Iran’s military capacity — it’s whether anyone has a plan for what comes after.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.