BREAKING — Day 4 of Operation Epic Fury has brought the most provocative escalation yet: US and Israeli forces have bombed the Assembly of Experts compound in Qom, Iran’s holiest city, targeting the very institution responsible for choosing the country’s next supreme leader. The strike comes as the conflict has now spread across at least nine countries, global markets are in turmoil, and President Trump warns the campaign could last “far longer” than five weeks.
Qom Strike: Targeting the Heart of Iran’s Theocratic Power
On Tuesday morning, an Israeli-US airstrike destroyed an office of Iran’s Assembly of Experts in the holy city of Qom, according to the semiofficial Iranian news agency Tasnim and confirmed by Mehr News Agency. The Assembly of Experts is arguably the most powerful clerical body in the Islamic Republic — it is the institution tasked with selecting and supervising Iran’s supreme leader.
The strike came just one day after a similar attack destroyed the Assembly’s compound in Tehran, suggesting a systematic campaign to dismantle the regime’s religious-political infrastructure. This follows the confirmed killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in the opening hours of Operation Epic Fury on February 28, which left the Assembly scrambling to organize a succession process.
According to reports from NBC News, Iranian authorities had established a temporary leadership council — including President Masoud Pezeshkian, judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, and cleric Alireza Arafi — to oversee the transition. The Qom strike now throws even that emergency arrangement into chaos.
“This is a decapitation strategy on a scale we haven’t seen in modern warfare,” said one former Pentagon official. “They’re not just going after military targets — they’re systematically dismantling the regime’s ability to govern.”
IAEA Confirms Natanz Nuclear Site Damaged
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed Tuesday that entrance buildings at Iran’s Natanz Fuel Enrichment Plant sustained damage in the recent strikes. Natanz is the centerpiece of Iran’s uranium enrichment program and has been a top-priority target for both the US and Israel for over two decades.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended the timing of the strikes in an interview with Fox News’ Sean Hannity, claiming Iran had been building new underground bunkers that would have made its nuclear and ballistic missile programs “immune” to attack “within months.”
“Action had to be taken,” Netanyahu said, pushing back against criticism that the conflict would become an “endless war.” He insisted the operation would lead to “peace and democracy in Iran.”
A detailed assessment from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) noted that Operation Epic Fury has targeted the remnants of Iran’s nuclear program alongside military and leadership targets, representing a comprehensive strategy to reshape Iran’s strategic capabilities for a generation.
War Spreads Across Nine Countries
What began as targeted strikes on Iranian soil has now engulfed a vast swath of the Middle East. According to the UK House of Commons Library and multiple news agencies, casualties and destruction have been reported in at least nine countries:
- Iran: Continuous US-Israeli strikes on Tehran, Isfahan, Qom, and Karaj. The Iranian Red Crescent reports at least 555 people killed.
- Saudi Arabia: Two drones struck the US Embassy in Riyadh on Monday, sparking a fire. Trump vowed retaliation, telling NewsNation “you’ll find out soon.”
- United Arab Emirates: The UAE has recorded a staggering 186 missiles and 812 drones sent toward the country since the conflict began.
- Lebanon: Israel launched fresh strikes on Hezbollah targets in Beirut. The Hezbollah-owned broadcaster Al Manar reported being targeted directly.
- Oman: Two Iranian drones struck Duqm Port, injuring one worker — marking the first time the traditionally neutral sultanate has been drawn into the fighting.
- Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Iraq, and Jordan: US military assets in these countries have come under attack from Iranian missiles and drones, alongside strikes on civilian infrastructure including airports.
A joint statement from the US, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, and the UAE strongly condemned Iran’s “indiscriminate and reckless” attacks on sovereign territories.
Six US Service Members Killed, 18 Wounded
US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed that as of 4 PM ET on March 2, six US service members have been killed in action since Operation Epic Fury began. Eighteen additional service members have been seriously wounded across the region, according to a US official who spoke to NBC News.
CENTCOM also revealed that US forces recently recovered the remains of two previously unaccounted-for service members from a facility struck during Iran’s initial retaliatory attacks. President Trump, speaking at the White House on Monday, acknowledged the losses and warned that “there will likely be more” American deaths.
Despite the casualties, the Pentagon declared it has achieved air superiority over Iran. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs General Dan Caine briefed reporters on the first 48 hours of operations, describing the deployment of B-1B strategic bombers, MQ-9 Reaper drones operating deep inside Iranian airspace, and extensive naval operations in the Gulf of Oman that have reportedly destroyed several Iranian warships.
Trump: War Could Last “Far Longer” Than Five Weeks
In his most extensive public remarks since the conflict began, President Trump outlined four key objectives for Operation Epic Fury and said the campaign had been projected to last four to five weeks — but could “go far longer than that.”
Trump identified destroying Iran’s missile capabilities as a top priority, alongside dismantling its nuclear program, eliminating regime leadership, and degrading Iran’s ability to project power through proxy forces. He claimed that 49 senior Iranian leaders were killed in the first round of strikes on February 28.
The president offered what The Guardian described as “sometimes conflicting objectives,” going beyond earlier video messages to suggest the end goal could range from regime change to a negotiated settlement — depending on how events unfold.
Global Markets in Turmoil
The economic fallout has been swift and severe. Oil prices surged into the high $70s per barrel as traffic through the Strait of Hormuz — through which roughly 20% of the world’s oil supply passes — came to a near-complete halt. Some analysts warn prices could top $100 per barrel if the disruption continues.
Global stock markets tumbled on Tuesday. Defense stocks surged — BAE Systems jumped 5%, while oil majors BP and Shell climbed roughly 3%. Gold prices, the traditional safe-haven asset, also climbed sharply.
CNBC analysts outlined scenarios ranging from a quick resolution that could bring oil back to $60-70 per barrel, to a prolonged conflict that could see prices spike more than 70% — consistent with historical patterns when regime change occurs in major oil-producing nations.
What Comes Next
Day 4 of Operation Epic Fury has made one thing clear: this conflict is not slowing down. With Iran’s leadership infrastructure under systematic attack, retaliatory strikes spreading across the Gulf, and no diplomatic channels currently open, the trajectory points toward further escalation.
The UN’s nuclear watchdog has urged restraint, and Congress is preparing a War Powers showdown. But on the ground and in the air, the pace of operations is only intensifying.
The world is watching what may become the most consequential military operation in the Middle East since the 2003 invasion of Iraq — and its outcome will reshape the region for decades to come.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as the situation evolves.