The death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s Supreme Leader, offers a new day for Iran and the prospects for peace in the Middle East. And it is a direct result of the precision of the US air and space forces.
“He was unable to evade our intelligence agencies and highly sophisticated tracking systems and, working closely with Israel, there was nothing he or the other leaders killed along with him could do,” President Donald Trump wrote Saturday afternoon.
The list is long: the B-2s of Operation Midnight Hammer, Space Force satellites that track missile launches, the incredible hit-to-kill technology for exo-atmospheric intercepts, crystalline surveillance and teams of Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps fighter pilots on strike missions and drone zone defense.
The astonishing blow of Operation Epic Fury is a wave of hope. Trump was right to seize the moment. Iran’s airspace was still exposed after US and Israeli attacks through 2025. In the coming days, Operation Epic Fury is expected to wipe out Iran’s remaining military capabilities. This is the way to build peace in the region and free America to focus on deterring China and protecting its home coast in the Western Hemisphere.
The Air Force’s F-22 and F-35 stealth fighters, along with two aircraft carriers and more land-based fighters, are leading the most advanced air campaign ever launched by U.S. forces. Khamenei’s death is historic. The most important measure of success, however, is the destruction of Iran’s military power. These are the top three priorities as Operation Epic Fury unfolds.
Destroy the missiles
The core military objective and the biggest objective is to destroy Iran’s missile complex. You can see why; just look at Iran’s attacks on Israel, Qatar, the UAE, Bahrain and more. If we just let it simmer, the US would have been next. “They are trying to make intercontinental ballistic missiles a reality,” said Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Missile targets are spread across the country, from the solid-fuel missile production facilities at Shahroud in the northeast to the cratered air base at Hamadan, near Iran’s western border. Iranian missiles can already reach Europe and the Defense Intelligence Agency estimated that within a decade Iran could have an intercontinental missile that could hit the US. With Operation Epic Fury, President Trump just saved your children from worrying about a nuclear attack by Iran.
WHERE IRAN’S BALLISTIC MISSILES CAN REACH – AND HOW CLOSE THEY ARE TO THE US
Air assault campaigns are typically planned with three days of targets selected and troops assigned to the tankers’ air refueling lanes. Allow at least three to four days to complete the first round of objectives and assess bomb damage. All aircraft rolling off the target after their attack have instant “gun camera” images of the points of impact, and the aircrews debrief on the mission and any threats encountered. Pursuing any leadership escapes and ensuring the destruction of fixed locations could be a major factor in the duration of Operation Epic Fury.
Also, Iran’s salvos against Israel, Bahrain, Qatar, the UAE and other locations reveal more potential targets. Target sets grow larger as sensors pick up on what the military calls “dynamic” targets – targets you see as they start firing.
TOMAHAWKS LED US ATTACK ON IRAN – WHY PRESIDENTS REachED FOR THIS MISSILE FIRST
With so many targets, it is possible that some will be hit multiple times. The occasional hung bomb or near miss will lead to decisions about re-attacks. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine and Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of US Central Command, will work 24/7 to direct the campaign – but they will take the time it takes to get the job done. No one will run out of ammunition. Remember, dozens of U.S. Air Force C-17 flights have recently been tracked en route to Saudi Arabia and other locations. They were packed with ammunition and other supplies. They won’t run out anytime soon. For the Navy, supply ships are on standby, and larger missile reloads can take place at regional ports.
Defend the US Armed Forces
American troops play offense and defense at the same time. Make no mistake. This is a combat zone. President Trump has been informed of possible losses.
Dozens of top Iranian regime officials, supreme leader killed in Israeli strikes
The US Space Force is crucial for both attack and defense. Their satellites are the first warning against Iranian missile launches. Guards have calibrated U.S. space assets to tighten precision weapons guidance and boost Iran’s efforts to deploy drones and missiles.
Defense against Iran’s intermediate-range ballistic missiles is provided by as many as ten US Navy Aegis-class destroyers with their Standard Missile SM-3 and SM-6 variants. SM-3s hit Iranian ballistic missiles at 65,000 feet. Their job is to kill missiles mid-course when Iran attacks bases such as Al Udeid in Qatar. What if Iran takes a wild shot at a US aircraft carrier? I doubt the Iranians can spot them and attack them, but American aircraft carriers have blast-proof, twin fuselages and layers of defense tactics to chew up Iranian missiles or drones.
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Speaking of which, count on the U.S. Air Force’s F-22s, F-35s, F-15s and F-16s and the Navy’s F/A-18EFs and F-35Cs for drone defense. Their extremely sensitive radars detect drones and cruise missiles. Fortunately, U.S. Navy and Air Force pilots have conducted many anti-drone exercises over the past two years dealing with the Houthis and Iran. Carrier Air Wing 9 on USS Abraham Lincoln bagged an Iranian drone with a Marine Corps F-35C stealth fighter on February 3. The addition of Carrier Air Wing 8 aboard USS Gerald R. Ford increased the Navy’s ability to maintain 24/7 combat air patrols.
And of course the Patriot and THAAD batteries on US bases are the deadly catcher’s mitt that destroy missiles heading towards bases.
Deter China
While not a direct objective of Operation Epic Fury, these direct attacks should scare China. Two Chinese warships moored off the Strait of Hormuz will try to keep an eye on all this. They see that the US can exert stealthy, precise air power over an arc of 2,000 miles. Because there is another strategic reality driving Operation Epic Fury. Trump must now complete the destruction of Iran’s military capability so that our military can focus on deterring China.
Iran’s murder of 32,000 or more of its own population hardened Trump’s resolve. Their foolish refusal to give up nuclear enrichment and missiles was the downfall of the regime.
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“They just wanted to practice evil,” Trump said Saturday morning.
That terrible chapter in Iran’s history is over.
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