Israeli military officials announced Sunday that Operation Epic Fury will continue for at least three more weeks, with thousands of Iranian targets remaining as the Middle East conflict enters its most dangerous phase since the Cold War ended.
Speaking to CNN, Israeli Defense Forces spokesperson Effie Defrin confirmed that despite operating ahead of schedule, the military campaign launched in coordination with the United States has "thousands of cibles à atteindre" (thousands of targets to hit). The announcement comes as the conflict spreads across multiple countries, threatening global energy security and international stability.
Operation Epic Fury Enters Third Week
The largest coordinated U.S.-Israeli military operation since the 2003 Iraq invasion has now entered its third week following the confirmed death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on March 1, 2026. The campaign utilizes unprecedented naval resources, including dual-carrier deployment of the USS Gerald R. Ford and USS Abraham Lincoln, representing approximately one-third of the active U.S. Navy fleet positioned 800 kilometers from Iran's coast.
"We are operating in coordination with our American allies," Defrin stated, emphasizing that Israel's objective remains to "significantly weaken the Iranian regime." The IDF reports detecting declining morale among Iranian forces while claiming systematic degradation of Iran's defense industry infrastructure.
Global Aviation and Energy Crisis
The conflict has triggered the most severe global aviation crisis since COVID-19, with over 18,000 flights cancelled worldwide. Eight Middle Eastern countries maintain simultaneous airspace closures, including Iran, Iraq, Israel, UAE, Qatar, Syria, Kuwait, and Bahrain. Dubai International Airport, the world's busiest with 86 million annual passengers, remains completely shut down due to missile damage.
Energy markets face unprecedented volatility as Iran has effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, through which 40% of global seaborne oil transits. Oil prices have surged past $80 per barrel, with analysts warning of potential increases toward $200 if the crisis continues. Natural gas prices have jumped 24% in Europe and 78% in the United States.
"I think that this conflict will certainly come to the end in the next few weeks – could be sooner than that. But the conflict will come to the end in the next few weeks, and we'll see a rebound in supplies and a pushing down in prices after that."
— Chris Wright, U.S. Energy Secretary
Iran's Massive Retaliation Campaign
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has launched "Operation True Promise 4," declaring that "no red lines remain" in their systematic targeting of U.S. and Israeli assets across the region. The Iranian retaliation has caused casualties across multiple countries:
- UAE: 1 civilian killed in Abu Dhabi from missile debris
- Kuwait: 32 foreign nationals injured in airport drone strikes
- Qatar: 8 injured despite Patriots intercepting 65 missiles and 12 drones
- Cyprus: RAF Akrotiri base struck in first attack on European territory since World War II
- Israel: Ongoing casualties including 9 killed and 28 wounded in Beit Shemesh residential strikes
Historic Constitutional Succession Crisis
Following Khamenei's death, Iran faces its first constitutional succession crisis during active warfare. A three-member transitional council consisting of President Masoud Pezeshkian, judiciary head Mohseni Ejei, and a Guardian Council representative is managing the country. The Assembly of Experts, comprising 88 clerics, is selecting a permanent successor under unprecedented wartime conditions.
CIA intelligence suggests a Revolutionary Guards member is likely to be chosen as the next Supreme Leader, marking a potential shift from clerical to military governance. Mojtaba Khamenei, the deceased leader's son, has emerged as the favored candidate, representing the first hereditary succession in the Islamic Republic's 47-year history.
International Response and Evacuations
The crisis has prompted the largest coordinated international evacuation since the Arab Spring in 2011. Australia has 115,000 nationals trapped in affected regions, while Germany reports 30,000 stranded tourists. The European Union activated its ESTIA evacuation plan for Cyprus for the first time in the bloc's history following the Iranian drone attack on British facilities.
An unprecedented naval coalition has formed to protect European territory, with HMS Dragon, Spanish frigates, and vessels from Italy, France, the Netherlands, and Greece deploying to the eastern Mediterranean. This marks the first military response to an attack on European soil since World War II.
Nuclear Diplomacy Collapse
The current military escalation emerged from the complete breakdown of nuclear negotiations in Geneva, despite achieving what diplomats described as "broad agreement on guiding principles" – the most significant progress since the 2018 JCPOA collapse. However, fundamental disagreements over scope proved insurmountable, with Iran demanding nuclear-only discussions while the U.S. insisted on comprehensive agreements including ballistic missiles, proxy groups, and human rights.
Iran continues enriching uranium to 60% purity, approaching the 90% threshold needed for weapons-grade material. Intelligence estimates suggest Iran possesses over 400 kilograms of enriched uranium, sufficient for multiple nuclear weapons if weaponized.
Congressional Scrutiny Intensifies
Bipartisan lawmakers in Washington are demanding detailed briefings on strategy, costs, and potential ground troop deployment. Senator Richard Blumenthal expressed being "more concerned than ever" about the possibility of boots on the ground, while the conflict faces "almost unprecedented" unpopularity for an early-stage military operation, with only 25% of Americans supporting the strikes.
Operation Epic Fury costs have reached $11.3 billion in the first week alone, with Pentagon officials quietly preparing for operations extending through September – far beyond the initial 4-6 week timeline suggested by the White House.
Regional Coalition Under Strain
The unprecedented diplomatic coalition of Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, and Egypt that supported diplomatic efforts now faces severe strain as Iranian retaliation has directly targeted their territories. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi condemned attacks on "sisterly Arab countries," warning of "comprehensive chaos" spreading across the region.
Gulf states find themselves caught between maintaining their alliance with the United States and facing Iranian pressure, with some privately expressing frustration over insufficient warning before the initial February 28 attacks.
Trump Administration's Hardline Stance
President Donald Trump has escalated rhetoric significantly, demanding Iran's "unconditional surrender" and claiming the right to personally choose Iran's next Supreme Leader. In a Truth Social post, Trump rejected Mojtaba Khamenei as a "lightweight," representing the most direct assertion of American control over Iranian internal affairs since 1979.
The administration's policy has evolved from nuclear-focused objectives to comprehensive regime change, effectively eliminating diplomatic solution possibilities. Trump has warned Iran would face "force never seen before" if retaliation continues.
Humanitarian Crisis and War Crimes Concerns
Iran's Red Crescent reports over 787 civilian casualties from U.S.-Israeli strikes, including devastating attacks on civilian infrastructure. The Pentagon has confirmed U.S. responsibility for an Iranian elementary school strike that killed 165-185 students, attributed to "outdated targeting data."
International humanitarian organizations have called for Geneva Conventions investigations into potential war crimes, particularly the targeting of civilian facilities including the Minab girls' school attack that killed 53-85 students and staff during regular school hours.
Global Economic Implications
The conflict has exposed fundamental vulnerabilities in global supply chains dependent on Middle Eastern logistics networks. Manufacturing sectors including automotive, electronics, and textiles face severe disruption. Major shipping companies Maersk and MSC have suspended Persian Gulf operations, with over 150 oil and LNG tankers stranded carrying billions of dollars in cargo.
Airlines have implemented emergency fuel surcharges as jet fuel costs jumped from $85-90 per barrel to $150-200. The Pakistan stock exchange crashed 8.97% in its largest single-day decline in history, while the PayPal IPO worth $1.1 billion has been postponed due to market volatility.
Template-Setting Crisis for 21st Century
UN Secretary-General António Guterres has called the crisis "the greatest test of multilateral cooperation and crisis management in the modern era." The rapid transition from diplomatic breakthrough to military escalation demonstrates what experts describe as the fragility of crisis management in the multipolar era.
The conflict occurs in a broader context of nuclear governance breakdown, with the New START treaty having expired on February 5 – the first time in over 50 years that no nuclear constraints exist between the United States and Russia. Combined with China's nuclear expansion, experts warn nuclear risks are at their "highest levels in decades."
Stakes and Future Implications
The crisis tests fundamental principles of the post-World War II international order, including regional war prevention, global energy security, nuclear governance credibility, and international law enforcement. Success in containing the conflict could provide a framework for future nuclear crisis resolution, while failure may accelerate military solutions over diplomatic approaches for decades.
The outcome will establish precedents for international dispute resolution, nuclear proliferation prevention, and territorial sovereignty enforcement that will affect 21st-century conflict approaches globally. With implications extending far beyond the Middle East, the decisions made in the coming weeks will reverberate through international relations for decades to come.
As Israel confirms at least three more weeks of military operations, the international community faces what may be the most consequential crisis since the Cold War ended, affecting energy architecture, aviation networks, supply chains, and diplomatic precedents with template-setting implications for how the world manages conflicts in the multipolar era.