February 28 – April 8, 2026 · Iran — nationwide Theater
February 28 – April 8, 2026
Authorized by President Trump on February 27, 2026, and opening at roughly 9:45 a.m. Iran Standard Time on February 28 — during Ramadan — Operation Epic Fury was a joint US–Israeli air campaign on a scale the region had never seen. The Israeli Air Force called its share the largest combat sortie in its history: some 500 targets struck and more than 1,200 bombs dropped in the first twenty-four hours. Strikes ranged across Tehran, Isfahan, Qom, Karaj, Kermanshah, Tabriz, and Bushehr, hitting leadership, nuclear and missile infrastructure, air defenses, and naval assets. The campaign followed the largest US military buildup in the region since 2003 and the collapse of nuclear negotiations, against a backdrop of Iranian security forces killing anti-government protesters in January.
Commanders