OAN Staff Brooke Mallory
4:49 PM – Monday, March 2, 2026
President Donald Trump announced on Monday that the active U.S. military campaign against Iran, “Operation Epic Fury,” is projected to last between “four and five weeks,” though he emphasized that the United States is prepared for a longer engagement — if necessary.
Speaking at a White House Medal of Honor ceremony on Monday, President Trump provided his most detailed assessment yet of the conflict, which began with a massive joint U.S.-Israeli strike on Saturday.
“We projected four to five weeks, but we have the capability to go far longer than that,” Trump told reporters. “We’re already substantially ahead of our time projections. We’ll do whatever it takes.”
The administration has outlined four primary goals for the operation:
- Elimination of Missile Capabilities – destroying Iran’s conventional ballistic missile infrastructure and production sites: This is the immediate tactical priority. The Trump administration aims to strip the Iranian regime of its offensive “teeth” so it cannot strike U.S. bases or regional allies.
- Naval Annihilation – neutralizing the Iranian Navy: The U.S. Navy and Air Force are tasked with permanently crippling Iran’s ability to project power in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, and Trump has already announced the destruction of at least 10 major Iranian vessels. The goal is to sink or disable the bulk of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) fast-attack fleets and frigates. Targets include underground missile cities, assembly plants, and solid-fuel production facilities.
By removing the Iranian naval threat, the U.S. also intends to later reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran attempted to close at the start of the conflict, causing global oil spikes.
- Nuclear Prevention – ensuring the regime can “never obtain a nuclear weapon”: Neutralizing mobile Transporter Erector Launchers (TELs) and silos that house Iran’s ballistic and cruise missiles. Severing the communication links between central leadership and missile units to prevent coordinated retaliatory volleys.
This goal is being described as a “red line” for U.S. national security. The Trump administration maintains that diplomacy has failed and only kinetic force can end the nuclear threat. In the opening hours, U.S. B-2 bombers dropped GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrators (MOPs) on fortified sites like Fordow and Natanz.
The operation aims to degrade the human and technical expertise behind the program. Unlike previous limited strikes, this goal seeks to destroy the industrial capacity to enrich uranium, ensuring the regime cannot restart the program for decades.
- Dismantling Terrorist Networks – ending Iranian support for proxy militant groups across the Middle East: The administration views Iran as the “mothership” of regional instability and aims to sever the head of the “Axis of Resistance.” By targeting IRGC-Quds Force commanders and coordination hubs within Iran, the U.S. intends to leave groups like Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis without funding, weapons, or orders. This includes destroying the airfields and cargo facilities used to fly weapons to proxies in Syria, Lebanon, and Yemen. The administration believes that by killing high-level leadership, including the confirmed death of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, the morale and operational coherence of these proxy networks will collapse.
War Secretary Pete Hegseth, who leads the Pentagon, echoed the president’s timeline in a Pentagon briefing, seeking to distance the current operation from previous long-term entanglements in the region.
“This is not a so-called regime change war, but the regime sure did change,” Hegseth said, referring to the death of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei during the initial strikes. “This is not Iraq. This is not endless. We fight to win, and we don’t waste time or lives.”
However, the conflict has already triggered significant global disruptions, and the Pentagon confirmed the deaths of six U.S. service members since the start of the operation.
Additionally, oil prices have since surged, as Iran retaliated against regional energy infrastructure. QatarEnergy suspended LNG production following drone attacks, and Saudi Arabia’s Ras Tanura refinery was reportedly targeted by debris from intercepted drones.
The threat level in the Strait of Hormuz has been raised to “critical” after multiple commercial vessels were targeted as well.
While President Trump expressed hope that the Iranian people would “take advantage of this incredible opportunity” to form a new government, critics, including European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, continue to call for de-escalation while warning of a protracted regional crisis.
Nonetheless, the death of the Iranian Supreme Leader and the launch of Operation Epic Fury have triggered a massive wave of support and celebration among the global Iranian diaspora. The Iranian diaspora refers to the global population of over 4 million Iranian citizens or people of Iranian descent living outside Iran.
Within the United States, pro-Trump rallies have surged in major cities like Los Angeles and Miami, where supporters have gathered to champion the “Peace Through Strength” operation while echoing GOP leaders like Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) in hailing the end of “47 years of terror.”
This sentiment has radiated far beyond U.S. borders, sparking celebrations in cities like London and Toronto, where the Iranian diaspora has flooded the streets to hail the long-awaited moment for their homeland’s liberation.
Even within Iran itself, despite being under the watchful eye of the Basij paramilitary, a defiant sense of hope has broken through the silence. Surfacing reports have described a symphony of rhythmic horn-honking and joyful shouts echoing from the rooftops of northern Tehran as citizens find ways to mark the moment. While the region’s “main” squares have been filled with state-mandated mourners, residential neighborhoods have erupted with locals shouting “Freedom!” from windows and a “symphony” of rhythmic horn-honking in traffic jams.
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