Operation Epic Fury enters its fourth day as the conflict spirals far beyond Iran’s borders. Israel has expanded strikes into Lebanon, an Iranian drone has struck a British military base in Cyprus, and a US F-15 has crashed in Kuwait under mysterious circumstances. Meanwhile, Congress is gearing up for a war powers showdown this week.
Israel Opens a Second Front in Lebanon
In a dramatic escalation early Monday morning, Israel launched a wave of air strikes against Hezbollah targets in Lebanon — the first Israeli military action in the country since the US-brokered ceasefire in November 2024.
More than a dozen explosions rocked Beirut’s southern suburbs, the Dahiyeh district long considered Hezbollah’s stronghold. The Israeli Defense Forces confirmed they targeted senior Hezbollah militants near the Lebanese capital and struck positions across southern and eastern Lebanon.
Lebanon’s Health Ministry reported 31 people killed and 149 wounded in the overnight IDF strikes. The numbers do not differentiate between Hezbollah operatives and civilians.
The strikes came in direct response to Hezbollah breaking the ceasefire by launching missiles and drones toward northern Israel. Sirens blared across Haifa and the Upper Galilee as projectiles crossed the border — the first such attack from Lebanese territory since the ceasefire took effect over a year ago.
“Hezbollah is fully responsible for any escalation,” the Israeli military said in a statement, warning residents of dozens of Lebanese villages to evacuate immediately.
Hezbollah said its attacks were in retaliation for the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. The move effectively shattered the fragile peace that had held along the Israel-Lebanon border and opened a dangerous second front in what is rapidly becoming a regional war.
Iranian Drone Strikes British Military Base in Cyprus
In one of the most alarming developments of the conflict so far, an Iranian drone struck the RAF Akrotiri air base in Limassol, Cyprus, according to the UK Ministry of Defence.
The strike marks the first time Iranian weapons have hit a NATO member’s territory during the crisis. While the UK is not participating in the US-Israeli offensive against Iran, British forces have been actively engaged in regional defense operations — shooting down Iranian drones and cruise missiles from bases in Cyprus and Qatar.
UK Defence Secretary John Healey revealed that Iran had also fired two missiles in the direction of Cyprus and that 300 British personnel at a base in Bahrain were within “a few hundred yards” of where Iranian missiles landed.
“Iran is lashing out in an increasingly indiscriminate and widespread way,” Healey said, adding that British RAF Typhoons operating from Qatar had successfully intercepted an Iranian drone heading toward Qatari territory.
The attack on a British sovereign base raises serious questions about whether the conflict could draw NATO allies deeper into the fighting — a scenario Western leaders have been desperate to avoid.
US F-15 Goes Down in Kuwait
Social media footage showed a US F-15 fighter jet falling from the sky over Kuwait on Monday morning. At least one pilot was seen ejecting before impact.
The US military has not yet commented on the circumstances of the crash. Early reports on social media suggested a possible friendly fire incident, though this remains unconfirmed. The crash adds to the growing toll of Operation Epic Fury, which has already claimed three American service members killed in action and five seriously wounded, according to CENTCOM.
President Trump addressed the casualties in a video update from Mar-a-Lago on Sunday, calling the operation “one of the largest, most complex, most overwhelming military offensives the world has ever seen” and vowing to “avenge” fallen service members.
Iran Retaliates Across the Gulf
Iran has continued launching waves of ballistic missiles and drones at targets across the region, hitting US allies and military installations with increasing intensity.
On Monday morning, new launches were detected from central Iran, triggering air raid sirens across Israel — including Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and Beersheba. Explosions were heard in Tehran, Dubai, and the Qatari capital Doha.
The human cost is mounting across the Gulf:
- Bahrain: One person killed and two seriously injured when debris from an intercepted missile hit a ship in the port city of Salman — the island nation’s first fatality
- Kuwait: One person killed and 20 wounded from Iranian strikes; hostile drones intercepted for a third consecutive day
- Israel: Six people killed in a strike on central Israel on Sunday
- Dubai/Doha: Explosions reported; damage to port facilities in Jebel Ali
Iran has now struck targets across at least six countries in three days, transforming what began as a targeted US-Israeli operation into a sprawling regional conflict.
Israeli Air Force Claims Air Superiority Over Tehran
In a remarkable claim late Sunday, the Israeli military announced that its air force had established aerial superiority over Tehran itself — meaning Israeli jets are now operating over the Iranian capital with relative impunity.
A new wave of strikes across Tehran targeted intelligence headquarters, security installations, and military command centers. The strikes come on top of the devastating blow that killed Supreme Leader Khamenei, Armed Forces Chief of Staff Sayyid Abdolrahim Mousavi, and over 40 senior Iranian officials.
Iran’s leadership vacuum continues to deepen. A hastily formed emergency council has assumed power, but with the regime’s top military and political leadership decimated, serious questions remain about who — if anyone — can effectively command Iran’s response.
Congress Prepares War Powers Showdown
Back in Washington, the political battle over Operation Epic Fury is intensifying. Democrats are pushing for an immediate vote on a War Powers Resolution that would require congressional approval for continued offensive strikes against Iran.
Senator Tim Kaine, the resolution’s primary author and a member of both the Senate Armed Services and Foreign Relations Committees, called Trump’s order to attack Iran “a colossal mistake.”
“We have over 100 of our fighter jets bombing them,” one lawmaker told NBC News. “The point of this resolution is to say, ‘We do not want another war in the Middle East’ — or at least Congress should opine on that.”
Republicans have largely praised the operation, framing it as a decisive action to neutralize Iran’s nuclear threat and destabilize a hostile regime. The White House released a statement titled “Peace Through Strength” defending the strikes as necessary to “crush the Iranian regime and end the nuclear threat.”
The vote could come as early as this week, setting up a constitutional clash over war powers not seen since the Iraq War era.
What Happens Next
As Operation Epic Fury enters its fourth day, the conflict shows no signs of slowing. Trump has indicated the operation could last “four or five weeks.” A White House official said the president would speak to Iran “eventually” — but an adviser to the late Khamenei flatly stated that Tehran will not negotiate.
The strategic picture is shifting by the hour. Israel is now fighting on two fronts — Iran and Lebanon. Iranian missiles are raining down on Gulf states that never signed up for this war. A British base has been hit. An American jet is down. Oil markets are in freefall. And Congress is about to have the biggest war powers debate in a generation.
The question is no longer whether this conflict will reshape the Middle East. It’s whether anyone can stop it from consuming the entire region.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as the situation evolves.