Pentagon Details Initial Strikes in Joint Operation Against Iran

The United States and Israel's joint military operation against Iran, dubbed "Operation Epic Fury," has entered its third day. The Pentagon provided its first formal press briefing on the conflict, revealing details about the initial phase of the offensive which began over the weekend. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, U.S. Air Force Gen. Dan Caine, stated that the operation was highly classified to achieve speed, surprise, and violence of action.

Gen. Caine explained that the initial phase commenced at 1:15 AM Eastern Daylight Time on Saturday, February 28, with U.S. Cyber Command and U.S. Space Command layering non-kinetic effects to disrupt and degrade Iran's ability to see, communicate, and respond. This was followed by a daylight strike involving over 100 aircraft and U.S. Navy Tomahawk cruise missiles, targeting Iranian naval forces and command and control infrastructure. The coordinated assault struck more than 1,000 targets within the first 24 hours, including ballistic missile sites and intelligence infrastructure, effectively establishing local air superiority.

The operation, now approximately 57 hours in, has seen hundreds of missions launched from land and sea, delivering tens of thousands of ordnance pieces. This includes B-2 bombers conducting 37-hour round-trip sorties from the continental United States to strike underground facilities, while Israel has independently executed hundreds of sorties against its own targets. The systematic targeting aims to daze and confuse Iranian forces, leaving them without effective coordination or response capabilities.