President Donald Trump has ordered a ‘massive and ongoing’ military operation against Iran, targeting its military infrastructure, nuclear program, and regime leadership in a move he described as essential for protecting the United States and its allies. The operation, named Operation Epic Fury, was announced in a video posted to Truth Social on Saturday at 2:30 a.m. EST.

Targeting Iran’s Military and Nuclear Infrastructure

In the video, Trump stated that the attacks are aimed at ‘destroying their missiles and razing their missile industry to the ground’ and ‘annihilating their navy.’ He warned that Iran’s nuclear program, which he claimed has been reactivated, poses a direct threat to the U.S., its overseas forces, and its allies in Europe.

‘Our objective is to defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime,’ Trump said. ‘Its menacing activities directly endanger the United States, our troops, our bases overseas, and our allies throughout the world.’

According to the president, Iran has been ‘rebuilding their nuclear program and continue developing long range missiles that can now threaten our very good friends and allies in Europe, our troops stationed overseas and could soon reach our American homeland.’

Israeli Involvement and Regional Response

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also announced a ‘joint operation’ with the U.S., called Operation Lion’s Roar, targeting what he described as an ‘existential threat’ posed by Iran. The operation, he said, is intended to ‘create the conditions for the brave Iranian people to take their destiny into their own hands.’

Following the strikes, the U.S. military confirmed that it had ‘identified missiles launched from Iran toward Israel.’ In response, U.S. Embassy staff in Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain were instructed to shelter in place, and non-emergency personnel at the U.S. embassy in Israel were authorized to immediately leave the country due to ‘safety risks.’

Secretary of State Marco Rubio had previously announced that the U.S. would designate Iran as a ‘State Sponsor of Wrongful Detention.’ He also briefed the congressional ‘Gang of Eight’ on the planned operation hours before it commenced, according to reports.

U.S. Naval Forces and Strategic Deployment

The military assault was supported by a significant deployment of U.S. naval and air assets. The Navy’s most advanced aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, and its strike group were positioned in the Mediterranean Sea, while the USS Abraham Lincoln operated in the Arabian Sea. Additional support came from 14 destroyers, as well as numerous support vessels, fighter jets, unmanned drones, and defense systems.

The deployment aligns with Trump’s January 13 statement on Truth Social, where he promised ‘Iranian Patriots’ that ‘HELP IS ON ITS WAY.’ The operation also follows a series of military actions by the U.S. against Iran, including the June 2025 strike involving seven B-2 stealth bombers armed with 14 30,000-pound GBU-57 bunker-busting munitions.

Trump has ordered seven military strikes in other nations since returning to the White House in January 2025. During his State of the Union address, he reiterated his stance that the U.S. will not allow Iran to develop a nuclear weapon, calling the Iranian regime the ‘world’s No. 1 sponsor of terror.’

‘For decades, it has been the policy of the United States never to allow Iran to obtain a nuclear weapon,’ Trump said. ‘Since they seized control of that proud nation 47 years ago, the regime and its murderous proxies have spread nothing but terrorism and death and hate.’

The operation follows weeks of negotiations in Switzerland, which Trump claimed had failed to produce a meaningful agreement. He warned during a February 19 meeting with the Board of Peace that ‘It’s proven to be, over the years, not easy to make a meaningful deal with Iran. Otherwise bad things happen.’

Trump also claimed that 32,000 Iranians were killed during the government’s crackdown on widespread protests over the country’s deteriorating economy. However, Iran’s top prosecutor dismissed the claim as ‘completely false,’ and Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, accused Trump of ‘openly encouraging’ the unrest by offering ‘military support.’

The U.S. military’s latest actions in the region come amid heightened tensions and an ongoing debate over the effectiveness of military deterrence versus diplomatic engagement in curbing Iran’s nuclear ambitions and regional influence.