Operation Epic Fury Enters a Dangerous New Chapter
The war against Iran is no longer just an air campaign.
As Operation Epic Fury grinds into its third week with over 7,800 strikes launched and 120 Iranian naval vessels destroyed, the Trump administration is now actively weighing a dramatic escalation: putting American boots on Iranian soil.
According to a bombshell Reuters exclusive published March 18, President Trump’s war cabinet is considering deploying thousands of U.S. troops to reinforce operations in the Middle East — with options that include seizing Iran’s Kharg Island, securing the Strait of Hormuz, and even sending special operations forces to capture Iran’s stockpiles of highly enriched uranium.
A White House official told Reuters: “There has been no decision to send ground troops at this time, but President Trump wisely keeps all options at his disposal.”
The stakes have never been higher.
Israel Assassinates Iran’s Security Chief Ali Larijani
The war took a seismic turn on March 17 when Israel confirmed it had killed Ali Larijani, 67, the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council and one of the most powerful figures in the Islamic Republic.
Larijani was killed in an Israeli airstrike while visiting his daughter in the eastern outskirts of a Tehran suburb, according to Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency. Iranian state television confirmed his death, making him the most senior Iranian figure killed since Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was struck on the first day of the war on February 28.
In the same wave of precision strikes, Israel also killed Gholamreza Soleimani, the commander of Iran’s Basij paramilitary militia — the internal security force responsible for crushing domestic protests and maintaining regime control.
Iran’s army chief, Amir Hatami, responded with a chilling threat, vowing to launch a “decisive and regrettable” retaliation. The Iranian military has promised that payback is coming — and the question now is what form it will take.
Ground Troops on the Table: Kharg Island, the Strait, and Nuclear Sites
The Reuters report reveals three potential ground operations under active discussion:
1. Seizing Kharg Island — The hub for 90% of Iran’s oil exports was already hammered by U.S. strikes on March 13, when CENTCOM hit over 90 military targets on the island. But controlling it, rather than destroying it, is now seen as strategically preferable. “Given its vital role in Iran’s economy, controlling the island would likely be viewed as a better option than destroying it,” military experts told Reuters. However, one U.S. official called such an operation “very risky” since Iran can still reach the island with missiles and drones.
2. Securing the Strait of Hormuz — The world’s most critical oil chokepoint has been effectively shut down since the war began. CENTCOM commander Admiral Brad Cooper has stated the U.S. aims to “end Iran’s ability to project power and harass shipping” in the Strait. While this would primarily be an air and naval mission, securing Iran’s shoreline along the Strait could require ground forces.
3. Capturing Iran’s Nuclear Material — Perhaps the most extraordinary option: deploying U.S. special operations forces to secure Iran’s stocks of highly enriched uranium. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard testified to Congress on March 18 that Iran’s nuclear enrichment program has been “obliterated” by strikes and that the underground facilities have been “buried and shuttered with cement.” But physically securing the material is a different challenge entirely.
An Amphibious Ready Group with a Marine Expeditionary Unit — more than 2,000 Marines — is already en route to the region and expected to arrive next week.
The War by the Numbers: Week Three
CENTCOM released an updated factsheet on March 18 that paints a picture of the sheer scale of Operation Epic Fury:
- 7,800+ strikes conducted since February 28
- 120+ Iranian naval vessels damaged or destroyed
- 50,000 U.S. troops currently deployed to the Middle East
- 13 U.S. service members killed in action
- ~200 U.S. troops wounded (majority minor injuries)
The U.S. has shifted its targeting strategy from immediate threats — missile and drone launchers — to Iran’s broader defense industrial base. Admiral Cooper confirmed on March 16 that strikes have moved to dismantling Iran’s “wider manufacturing apparatus,” including IRGC missile command infrastructure and torpedo-building facilities in Yazd Province.
One of the most significant developments: U.S. forces used 5,000-pound bunker-buster munitions to destroy anti-ship cruise missile sites along Iran’s Strait of Hormuz coastline — a direct effort to reopen the world’s most critical shipping lane.
Iran Strikes Back: Qatar’s LNG Hub Hit, Gulf States Drawn In
Iran isn’t just absorbing punishment. Tehran has been escalating its own attacks, with devastating consequences for the wider region.
On March 18, Iranian forces struck Qatar’s Ras Laffan energy hub — one of the world’s largest LNG terminals. Qatar’s foreign ministry condemned the attack as “a dangerous escalation,” accusing Iran of “pushing the region toward the brink and drawing countries not party to this crisis into the conflict zone.”
Saudi Arabia reported intercepting four missiles over Riyadh. Oil and gas prices have surged to crisis levels, with crude pushing past $110 per barrel.
U.S. and Israeli intelligence agencies also assess that the IRGC is now effectively running Iran’s war effort because Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei — who assumed power after his father Ali Khamenei was killed on Day 1 — is believed to be wounded. CBS News reported that the U.S. government believes the IRGC is “calling the shots.”
Iran has also reportedly deployed Russian-produced Shahed drones — possibly modified variants — to target U.S. bases and Gulf countries, raising serious questions about Moscow’s role in the conflict.
Senate Blocks War Powers Resolution — Again
Back in Washington, the political battle over the war intensified on March 18 when Senate Republicans blocked a second war powers resolution aimed at reining in Trump’s authority to wage war on Iran without congressional authorization.
The vote was 53-47, almost entirely along party lines. The measure, led by Senator Cory Booker, would have halted offensive U.S. military operations in Iran and required Trump to secure a formal vote from Congress to continue.
Republicans argued the president needs maximum flexibility during an active military campaign. Democrats have four more resolutions teed up, but with the GOP holding firm, none appear likely to pass.
The first war powers vote on March 4 also failed 53-47, meaning Trump effectively has a blank check to prosecute the war however he sees fit.
Trump’s Mixed Signals on the Strait
Adding to the uncertainty, Trump himself has sent wildly mixed signals about the Strait of Hormuz.
After initially saying the U.S. Navy would escort oil tankers through the waterway, he pivoted to calling on allied nations to help reopen it. When allies showed little interest, Trump took to Truth Social with a remarkable post:
“I wonder what would happen if we ‘finished off’ what’s left of the Iranian Terror State, and let the Countries that use it, we don’t, be responsible for the so called ‘Strait?'”
The comment rattled markets and allies alike. The U.S. doesn’t import significant oil through the Strait, but its closure has sent global energy prices skyrocketing — hammering European and Asian economies.
Meanwhile, Hong Kong aviation giant Cathay Pacific suspended all flights to and from Dubai through April 30, citing the deteriorating security situation. More airlines are expected to follow.
What Comes Next?
The Iran war is at an inflection point. The air campaign has achieved devastating results against Iran’s military infrastructure, but the regime shows no signs of surrendering or coming to the negotiating table.
Iran’s retaliatory strikes on Gulf energy infrastructure and its continued missile launches — including a Sejjil ballistic missile fired at Israel for the first time — demonstrate that Tehran still has significant fight left.
The key questions for the coming days:
- Will Trump authorize ground operations? The political risks are enormous given low public support for the war, but the military rationale is growing.
- How will Iran retaliate for Larijani? The assassination of such a senior figure demands a response — the question is whether it will be symbolic or strategic.
- Can the Strait of Hormuz be reopened? Global oil markets are in crisis mode, and the economic pressure on U.S. allies is mounting daily.
- What is Russia’s actual role? Reports of modified Russian drones in Iranian hands could transform this from a regional war into something far more dangerous.
One thing is clear: Operation Epic Fury is entering uncharted territory. The air war that began three weeks ago may soon become something much larger — and much more consequential — for the entire world.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as the situation evolves.