The primary hours of Operation Epic Fury—the joint U.S.-Israeli navy offensive in opposition to Iran, launched on February 28—demonstrated the extraordinary attain of contemporary precision warfare. U.S. and Israeli strikes killed Iran’s supreme chief, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, together with senior commanders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and key intelligence officers, in what Washington and Jerusalem described as a decisive blow supposed to cripple Tehran’s command construction and destabilize the regime.
But inside hours, any hope that the exact decapitation strikes would restrict the scope of the battle was dashed. Iran launched tons of of ballistic missiles and drones not solely at Israel but additionally throughout the Gulf. Air raid sirens sounded in Tel Aviv and Haifa. Missiles slammed into interceptors over Doha and Abu Dhabi. At Al Udeid Air Base, in Qatar—the ahead headquarters of U.S. Central Command—personnel took shelter as interceptors streaked overhead. Air defenses flashed into motion at U.S. bases at Al Dhafra within the United Arab Emirates and Ali Al Salem in Kuwait. Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia reported incoming drones. Close to the U.S. Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain, naval forces have been positioned on heightened alert.
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