Operation Roaring Lion / Epic Fury
Joint US-Israeli air campaign against Iran, launched 28 February 2026.
Last refreshed: 30 March 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
Three weeks, 7,000 strikes, $19 billion: what exactly is the US trying to win?
Latest on Operation Roaring Lion / Epic Fury
- What is Operation Epic Fury?
- Operation Epic Fury (originally Operation Roaring Lion) is a joint US-Israeli air campaign against Iran launched on 28 February 2026. It has struck more than 7,000 targets in Iran across three weeks, costing an estimated $19 billion, making it the most expensive sustained US air campaign since the 2003 Iraq invasion.Source: CENTCOM / CSIS
- How much has Operation Epic Fury cost so far?
- The Center for Strategic and International Studies calculated the first 100 hours at $3.7 billion ($3.5 billion unbudgeted), rising to approximately $900 million per day. By week three, the estimated total reached $19 billion. Neither the White House nor the Pentagon has requested supplemental funding from Congress.Source: CSIS
- How many US troops have died in the Iran war?
- Eight US service members have died during Operation Epic Fury: seven from combat or combat wounds and one from a health-related incident in Kuwait. The first three were confirmed killed on 1 March 2026.Source: CENTCOM
- Did the US use AI to pick targets in Iran?
- More than 120 Democratic representatives asked Defence Secretary Hegseth whether the Maven Smart System identified the Shajareh Tayyebeh school in Minab as a target. The Washington Post reported the US target list may have misidentified the school for a nearby military site due to outdated intelligence processed through automated systems.Source: US House / Washington Post
- How does Operation Epic Fury compare to the 2003 Iraq invasion costs?
- Operation Epic Fury reached an estimated $19 billion in three weeks at roughly $900 million per day. The 2003 Iraq invasion cost approximately $53 billion in its first year. The daily burn rate for Epic Fury is roughly twice that of the Iraq invasion at its peak.Source: CSIS
Background
The campaign became the most expensive sustained US air operation since 2003. The Center for Strategic and International Studies estimated the first 100 hours at $3.7 billion, rising to roughly $900 million per day by week three, totalling an estimated $19 billion with no supplemental Congressional funding requested. Principal munitions included GBU-57 bunker-busters at $3.5 million each and TLAM Block V Cruise Missiles at $2.1 million each.
Operation Roaring Lion, renamed Epic Fury once the United States formally joined Israel's opening strikes, launched on 28 February 2026 against Iran's military infrastructure, nuclear sites, and the administrative core of Tehran. By 19 March, CENTCOM confirmed more than 7,000 targets struck, with Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth calling each day's package "the largest strike yet."
The campaign's stated objectives have shifted without formal declaration, from neutralising Iran's nuclear programme to signalling Regime change. Netanyahu conceded on 11 March he could not guarantee the latter. Congress has authorised no war powers, Senator Mark Warner publicly contested the intelligence justification, and 120-plus representatives demanded answers over whether the Maven Smart System misidentified a school as a target.
