Operation Epic Fury entered its 15th day Saturday with U.S. and Israeli forces having collectively struck more than 15,000 targets inside Iran — including over 6,000 accounted for by American forces alone — as senior officials described the Iranian military as having lost its air force, navy, air defenses, and missile-building capacity in what President Trump called the elimination of “a cancer that was threatening us all.”

Friday, March 13, was described as the campaign’s most intense day of combat by Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine, who called it “our heaviest day of kinetic fires” — with joint U.S.-Israeli strikes hammering underground ballistic missile production facilities, IRGC headquarters in Tehran, Shiraz, and Ahvaz, and air defense networks across the country.

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, briefing reporters from the Pentagon on Friday, painted a picture of a regime in freefall: “Gulf partners are stepping up even more now,” he said, adding that Iran’s defense companies are “functionally defeated” and its arsenal “shrinking daily.” The same assessment was echoed by CENTCOM officials, who described American operations as “unpredictable, dynamic, and decisive.”

Strikes on March 13: The Campaign’s Heaviest Day

The scope of Friday’s strikes was unlike anything since the opening salvo of the campaign. Joint U.S.-Israeli airstrikes targeted the full spectrum of Iranian military and security infrastructure: underground ballistic missile production facilities, missile storage and component manufacturing sites, air defense batteries, IRGC ground force headquarters, and internal security force command centers in Tehran, Shiraz, and Ahvaz.

Israeli drone strikes also hit Basij paramilitary checkpoints inside Tehran, killing several members of the paramilitary force. Across the northern border, Israel’s air force struck Hezbollah command centers in Beirut and southern Lebanon, killing a sector commander, operatives in Bint Jbeil, and destroying the Zrarieh Bridge — a key logistics artery for the terror group.

Iran’s Retaliatory Capacity in Freefall

Iran fired only 19 missiles on March 13 — a 42% decline from the 32 launched just one day earlier on March 12, and a fraction of the barrages that opened the conflict. Since February 28, Iran has launched approximately 2,700 drones, 1,196 ballistic missiles, and 28 cruise missiles — nearly half of them aimed at the UAE. American officials confirmed Iran has effectively lost its air force, navy, air defenses, and missile-building capacity.

Despite the devastation, Iran continued launching attacks against neighboring Gulf states Friday and positioned military assets near civilian populations — a pattern U.S. officials say is designed to complicate targeting decisions. Drone barrages against Saudi Arabia included 41 drones on March 13, and an Iranian missile with cluster munitions wounded 58 people in the Israeli Arab town of Zarzir.

Trump: “About to Surrender” — And a Warning About Nuclear Sites

President Trump on Friday declared Iran “about to surrender” and described Operation Epic Fury as eliminating “a cancer that was threatening us all.” He echoed Secretary Hegseth’s earlier assessment that Iran’s new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei — who assumed power following the death of Ali Khamenei in the opening strikes — is “wounded and likely disfigured,” calling him simply “damaged.”

But beneath the triumphant rhetoric, a significant strategic development is taking shape: the Trump administration is actively weighing options to secure Iran’s nuclear sites, according to officials briefed on the discussions. No ground troop deployment has been confirmed, but the deliberations signal that the operation’s scope may expand beyond airstrikes — potentially extending the campaign beyond its initial four-to-six-week estimate.

The Cost: U.S. Losses and the Human Toll

The campaign has not come without cost. Cumulative U.S. military losses in the first two weeks reached $3.84 billion, encompassing damaged radar installations, downed drones, lost aircraft, and a KC-135 tanker crash on March 12 — not attributed to enemy fire — that contributed to the death toll. A total of 13 U.S. service members have been killed, including Sergeant Benjamin Pennington, who died March 8. Approximately 140 U.S. personnel have been wounded, with eight in severe condition.

24,000 Americans Evacuated; Navy to Escort Hormuz Shipping

Nearly 24,000 American citizens have been evacuated from the broader Middle East region since the operation began February 28, according to U.S. officials — one of the largest non-combatant evacuation operations since the fall of Kabul. Mississippi National Guard units were among those deployed in support of the campaign and evacuation logistics.

Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent confirmed Wednesday that the U.S. Navy will escort commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz “as soon as it is militarily possible,” as part of an international coalition response to Iranian mine-laying activities and ongoing threats to global shipping. The Navy is currently in preparation for that mission, with CENTCOM noting that facilities in Iranian ports supporting military operations could lose civilian protections under international law.

As Operation Epic Fury moves into its third week, American commanders face a transition from rapid degradation toward what could be a more complex phase — one involving the question of what comes after Iran’s conventional military capacity is exhausted. Whether that means nuclear site seizure operations, negotiated terms, or a prolonged suppression campaign remains the defining question of the days ahead.