The geopolitical shockwaves following the joint US–Israeli strikes on Iran, launched under the name Operation Epic Fury, have extended beyond the battlefield, raising questions about retaliation, succession and presidential security after the confirmed death of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
On Saturday, 28 February 2026, the United States and Israel launched what President Donald Trump described as “major combat operations” targeting Iran’s missile and nuclear infrastructure. Posting on Truth Social, Trump declared: “we are going to destroy their missiles and raze their missile industry to the ground.” He later stated that the objective was to “ensure that Iran does not obtain a nuclear weapon.”
