US forces launched a sweeping military assault on Iranian targets on Saturday, unleashing overwhelming air, naval and missile power in a coordinated operation with Israel.
The mission – dubbed ‘Operation Epic Fury’ – began at 1:15 a.m. and hit more than 1,000 locations across Iran within the first 24 hours, according to US Central Command (CENTCOM). Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and dozens of senior regime officials were eliminated in the attacks.
The barrage included B-2 stealth bombers, F-22 and F-16 fighter jets, A-10 attack aircraft, EA-18G electronic warfare aircraft and an array of airborne early warning and communications platforms, CENTCOM said.
A US Navy ship launches Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles in support of Operation Epic Fury. (US Central Command Public Affairs)
Missile defense systems, including Patriot interceptors and THAAD anti-ballistic missile defenses, were deployed as part of the operation.
Other assets included RC-135 reconnaissance aircraft, MQ-9 Reaper drones, HIMARS missile systems, nuclear-powered aircraft carriers, guided missile destroyers, tankers and C-17 and C-130 transport aircraft, CENTCOM said.
The command also released images of Tomahawk cruise missiles, as well as F-18 and F-35 fighter jets roaring into battle, according to Reuters.
CENTCOM also confirmed that it has deployed drones for one-way attacks in combat for the first time.
Dozens of top Iranian regime officials, supreme leader killed in Israeli strikes
Low-cost Unmanned Combat Attack System (LUCAS) drones were also used in the attack. (US Central Command Public Affairs)
The Low-Cost Unmanned Combat Attack System – known as LUCAS – is modeled after Iran’s Shahed drones.
“CENTCOM’s Task Force Scorpion Strike – for the first time in history – uses drones for one-way strikes during Operation Epic Fury,” CENTCOM wrote on
Developed by Arizona-based engineering firm SpektreWorks, the LUCAS drone can be launched from catapults, vehicles or mobile ground platforms. to Business Insider.
The drones cost about $35,000 each, Reuters reported.
KEY MILITARY LOCATIONS TARGETED ON IRAN AS PART OF COORDINATED US-Israeli Attacks
A plume of smoke rises after an explosion on February 28, 2026 in Tehran, Iran. (Majid Saeedi/Getty Images)
The attacks targeted command and control centers, the Joint Headquarters of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the Aerospace Forces Headquarters, integrated air defense systems, ballistic missile sites, Iranian naval ships and submarines, anti-ship missile sites and military communications infrastructure, CENTCOM said.
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Iran retaliated by launching waves of missiles across the Middle East, targeting major US bases in Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates, Business Insider reports.
Three U.S. service members were killed and five others were “seriously injured” as part of Operation Epic Fury, CENTCOM said Sunday morning. The joint military operation is expected to last for days.
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