Trump Launches “Operation Epic Fury” Without Congressional Approval

Trump Orders Offensive in Iran

Operation Epic Fury Begins

Iran Responds With Missiles

US President Donald Trump announced early Saturday the start of “major combat operations” in Iran.

In a national address, he stated that the objective is to end the Iranian regime and encourage the Iranian people to rise up and take power.

The president did not provide a timeline or clarify whether the so-called Operation Epic Fury Iran would be limited in scope.

Trump Declares Open War and Launches Offensive in Iran

President Donald J. Trump on the United States military combat operations in Iran: pic.twitter.com/LimJmpLkgZ

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) February 28, 2026

Trump asserted that the offensive is justified because Tehran is attempting to restart its nuclear program.

He also claimed that Iran is advancing in the development of long-range missiles.

According to Trump, those missiles “could soon reach US territory.”

Operation Epic Fury in Iran Triggers Massive Military Offensive

FIGHT FOR FREEDOM: President Trump says he wants his legacy from the strikes and his push for regime change in Iran to be about freedom for the Iranian people. pic.twitter.com/yZR8MspS2m

— Fox News (@FoxNews) February 28, 2026

During his eight-minute speech, reportedly recorded at Mar-a-Lago, Trump appeared wearing a white cap with the initials “USA.”

On two occasions, he declared that he would “no longer tolerate” Iran’s missile development and uranium enrichment activities.

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He referenced June’s “Operation Midnight Hammer,” which targeted the nuclear facilities of Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan.

That operation involved B-2 strategic bombers striking Iran’s three main nuclear centers.

Trump defended his offensive in Iran and criticized what he described as shifting positions by Iranian negotiators.

Until two days ago, he said, they had been seeking an agreement with the United States regarding the nuclear program and weapons limitations.

The president stated that after the June strikes, efforts were made to pursue a diplomatic solution.

He claimed Iran had been warned it could “never again maliciously pursue nuclear weapons.”

In recent months, he said, he wanted to give diplomacy another chance.

As recently as Friday, he maintained that he had not made a final decision regarding a potential US attack on Iran.

Massive Military Deployment in the Middle East

President Donald Trump told The Washington Post this morning that his main concern was the “freedom” of the Iranian people.

More details https://t.co/2DfG4p0QNM

— Noticias Telemundo (@TelemundoNews) February 28, 2026

The Pentagon has reportedly deployed its largest naval, air, and logistical buildup in the region in more than two decades.

Carrier strike groups including the USS Gerald Ford in the eastern Mediterranean and the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Indian Ocean near the Gulf of Oman are participating.

F-22 fighter jets, refueling aircraft, and electronic surveillance planes have also been mobilized.

The “massive” and “ongoing” Operation Epic Fury began with an initial wave of strikes.

It reportedly included dozens of Tomahawk cruise missiles, possibly launched from the Mediterranean.

US sources told Fox News that the attacks are focused on Iranian military installations.

At the same time, Israel is striking key centers of power within the Iranian regime.

Trump stated that Iran’s armed forces, police, and Revolutionary Guard must lay down their weapons.

He said they would be “treated fairly and with full immunity or face certain death.”

No Congressional Approval and Iranian Response

Trump moved forward without authorization from Congress, which holds the constitutional power to declare war.

According to The New York Times, even Senator Jack Reed, the top Democrat on the Armed Services Committee, was not informed in advance.

The president claimed that no other president had done what he did that night.

Addressing the Iranian people directly, he said this would be their only opportunity “in generations” to take power.

“The United States is backing you with devastating and overwhelming force,” he declared.

Iran responded with ballistic missile attacks against military targets in Israel, Qatar, and Bahrain.

The United States could suffer casualties in the early hours of the conflict.

Trump acknowledged that “brave American heroes” could lose their lives.

He said his administration had taken steps to minimize risks to U.S. personnel in the region.

Bases in Bahrain and Qatar are reportedly nearly empty in anticipation of possible attacks.

For now, Iran has not targeted Oman.

The military campaign will continue in a “massive” manner and will be coordinated between the United States and Israel.

Unlike in 2003, Trump does not have explicit support from a majority in Congress or a broad coalition of international allies for Operation Epic Fury in Iran.