Key Developments in Operation Epic Fury (6 March 2026).
- U.S.-Israeli strikes continue across Iran as Operation Epic Fury enters its second week
- At least 30 Iranian naval vessels reportedly destroyed
- Iranian missile and drone attacks expand to multiple Gulf states and regional targets
- The number of total daily attacks by Iran has significantly diminished
- Speculation that Kurdish fighters may enter the conflict
U.S. and Israeli Target Set. Israel appears focused on regime targets, including leadership figures, police intelligence agencies, and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) bases. The U.S. appears focused on destroying Iranian missile launchers, drone bases, and military infrastructure, as well as degrading the Iranian Navy. U.S. forces have now struck over 3,000 targets (CENTCOM) during Operation Epic Fury.
Status of Iranian Navy. On March 5, 2026, Admiral Cooper – the commander of U.S. Central Command – provided an update on the Iranian navy. At the time of the briefing, at least 30 Iranian naval vessels had been sunk. One of them was a drone carrier roughly comparable in size to a World War II-era aircraft carrier. Another Iranian vessel, sunk in the Indian Ocean not far from the country of Sri Lanka, was torpedoed by an U.S. fast attack submarine. This would be the first widely reported wartime submarine sinking of a surface warship since 1982, when a British submarine sank the Argentine cruiser ARA General Belgrano during the Falklands War. Two Iranian vessels have entered foreign ports of safety; one in Sri Lanka requesting ‘internment’ and another in India reporting ‘engine trouble’.
Iranian Attacks Widen. Missiles and drones have attacked not only Israel but other countries as well. The list includes Turkey, Cyprus (probably a Hezbollah attack), Kurdish positions in northern Iraq, Kuwait, Dubai, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, and others. Frequent targets in these countries include U.S. military installations and bases, U.S. diplomatic locations, and intelligence facilities. Civilian targets in the Gulf countries have been attacked by Iranian missiles and drones as well.
Shahed Drone Destroys U.S. Radar? Unconfirmed social-media reports claim that a $35,000 Iranian Shahed drone destroyed a $600 million U.S. THAAD AN/TPY-2 Radar (Wikipedia) at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan. There has been no official confirmation of this claim. Iran has thousands of these Shahed drones. The U.S. has about 12-13 active AN/TPY-2 radars.
U.S. Seeks Ukraine’s Help on Drones. Swarms of Iranian drones have been striking targets across the Middle East. The Shahed drone, and others like it, are inexpensive compared to the costs of U.S. air defense systems that counter it. Over the past few years Ukraine has been dealing with drone swarm attacks, and now the U.S. is asking that country for assistance. Read more in “Unprepared for Iranian drones, U.S. and partners seek Ukraine’s help”, The Washington Post, March 6, 2026.
French Fleet to Eastern Med. The Charles-de-Gaulle Carrier Strike Group, about twelve ships, has entered the Mediterranean Sea on March 6, 2026 heading to the Eastern Mediterranean.
Kurdish Option? There is quite a lot of discussion about training, arming, and supporting Iranian Kurdish groups so they can conduct operations against the Iranian regime. Albert B. Wolf, a scholar who once worked at the American University of Kurdistan, tells us why this is a bad idea. “Why Washington’s Kurdish Gambit Could Backfire in Iran”, War on the Rocks, March 6, 2026.
82nd Exercise Canceled. The 82nd Airborne Division, based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, just received orders canceling a major training exercise for the headquarters element at Fort Polk, Louisiana. “Cancellation of Army exercise fuels speculation about Mideast troop deployments”, The Washington Post, March 6, 2026.
The USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) aircraft carrier transited the Suez Canal on Thursday, leaving the Mediterranean Sea and now operating in the Red Sea. There are unconfirmed social-media reports that a third U.S. carrier strike group is heading to the Middle East. The carrier will either augment the two carriers already in place or relieve one so it can return to the U.S.
There is concern that the U.S. and Israel will run out of expensive air defense missiles before Iran runs out of cheap drones. Ukraine faces hundreds of Russian drone attacks each night; however, it has a multi-layered warning and defensive drone system that employs traditional anti-aircraft weapons and interceptor drones.
Russia Sharing Intelligence. The Washington Post reports that Russia is likely sharing intelligence with Iran on U.S. troops and bases in the Middle East. This intelligence support probably includes high-quality satellite imagery that reveals the locations of warships and aircraft. “Russia is providing Iran intelligence to target U.S. forces, officials say”, The Washington Post, March 6, 2026.
ISW Update. The Institute for the Study of War is posting a comprehensive daily report with several maps every evening on Operation Epic Fury. The rollup for the evening of March 6, 2026, can be accessed online here.
**********
Photo: An Air Force F-16 takes flight in the Middle East in support of Operation Epic Fury in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, March 2, 2026. (photo courtesy of U.S. Air Force)
