Overview
- President Trump said Operation Epic Fury is ahead of schedule, outlined goals to cripple Iran’s missiles and navy, prevent a nuclear weapon, and cut support for proxies, and stated the campaign could extend beyond four to five weeks.
- U.S. Central Command confirmed four American service members were killed in Iranian counterstrikes, while Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the fight would not be “endless.”
- Iran fired new waves of missiles and drones targeting Israel, U.S. bases, and Gulf states as Israeli forces struck command sites in Tehran for a third day; Iran’s Red Crescent reported at least 555 deaths inside Iran.
- Ali Larijani said Iran will not negotiate with the United States and declared the country prepared for a long war as a temporary leadership council assumed the supreme leader’s duties.
- Regional spillover deepened with reported hits on Gulf energy infrastructure, a shutdown at Saudi Aramco’s Ras Tanura refinery after a drone-linked fire, and a friendly-fire incident in Kuwait that downed three U.S. jets with crews safe, alongside widening travel disruptions and rising oil prices.