The death toll inside Iran has crossed 1000. the United States
submarine has sunken Iranian warship off the coast of Sri
Lanka in the first torpedo attack by an American sub since
the Second World War. The Iranian Air Force has been
described as no more, and Secretary of Defense Pete
Hegseth stood at the Pentagon podium and told the world that
America is winning decisively, devastatingly, and without
mercy. It is Thursday, March 5th, 2026,
Day 6 of Operation Epic Fury, and the scale of this conflict
has now surpassed every comparable modern military
operation in American history. This is episode 6 of Epic Fury,
the US Iran War podcast. Let's get straight into it.
The headline number from today is 1045.
That is the confirmed death toll inside Iran as of Wednesday
morning. According to Al Jazeera's live
tracker, citing Iranian official and Red Crescent figures, 1045
people confirmed dead inside Iran in six days.
That number includes Supreme Leader Khamenei, members of his
family, senior military commanders, Revolutionary Guard
officers, and hundreds of civilians.
It does not include the 87 Iranian sailors confirmed dead
off the coast of Sri Lanka. It does not include the 11
people killed in Israel, the six American service members, or the
nine people killed the Cross Gulf states.
The total death toll across all parties to this conflict now
exceeds 1100 people. And the bombs are still falling
inside Iran. The Israeli Air Force dropped
more than 1200 munitions across 24 of Iran's 31 provinces in the
past 24 hours alone. The 10th wave of strikes against
Iran was confirmed by the IDF on Wednesday morning.
Tehran has been at the center of that wave, but Carriage and
Isfahan have also been heavily targeted.
The holy City of Calm, one of the most sacred sites in Shia
Islam, was struck for the second time.
Massive explosions were heard in Tehran at dawn on Wednesday.
Iranian state television showed the rubble of a building in
central Tehran, though it did not identify what the building
had been. United States Central Command
confirmed on Wednesday that 2000 strikes have now been carried
out inside Iran since the launch of Operation Epic Fury 6 days
ago. That figure, 2000 strikes in six
days, is roughly double the pace of the shock and awe campaign in
Iraq in 2003, which has until now been the benchmark for the
most intensive aerial campaign in modern history.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed this comparison
directly at his Pentagon briefing on Wednesday.
He said Operation Epic Fury has delivered twice the air power of
shock and awe, He added. We are accelerating, not
decelerating. Hexetha's briefing was one of
the most significant military press conferences in recent
American history. He stood before reporters
alongside Joint Chiefs Chairman General Dan Kane and delivered
an assessment of unambiguous confidence.
He said. I stand before you today with
one unmistakable message about Operation Epic Fury.
America is winning decisively, devastatingly and without mercy.
He described Iran's senior military leadership as dead,
missing or cowering in bunkers too terrified to even occupy the
same room. He said Iran's senior generals,
mid level officers and enlisted ranks cannot talk or coordinate,
let alone mount a sustained and coordinated offensive.
And then came a statement that will be remembered as one of the
defining lines of this conflict. He said the Iranian Air Force is
no more, built for 1996, destroyed in 2026.
He also confirmed that the Iranian Navy rests at the bottom
of the Persian Gulf. Two days earlier, United States
Central Command had confirmed that Iran's 11 ships in the Gulf
of Oman had been reduced to 0. On Wednesday, the full picture
of Iranian naval losses was confirmed. 20 Iranian vessels
have been sunk since the star of the operation, according to
CENTCOM data, including the new Iranian helicopter and drone
carrier Shahi Begiri. A significant and modern vessel,
the frigate Sayed Shirazi, was also attacked near the port of
Bandar Abbas. And then came the story that
dominated global headlines on Wednesday, the sinking of the
Iris Dina. The Iranian Navy frigate Iris
Dina was torpedoed and sunk by United States Navy submarine in
the Indian Ocean on Wednesday, approximately 40 nautical miles
South of Gal, Sri Lanka. The Iris Dino was one of Iran's
most modern and prestigious warships, commissioned in 2021
as part of the Mudge class of domestically built Iranian
frigates. It had been participating in the
multinational naval exercise Milan 2026 in the International
Fleet Review at Visakhapatnam in India and was transiting home
when it was intercepted. The ship issued A distress call
between 6:00 and 7:00 in the morning Sri Lanka time.
The Sri Lankan Navy and Sri Lanka Air Force immediately
launched a search and rescue operation, but by the time
rescue forces reached the location, the Irisdina had
already slipped beneath the surface of the Indian Ocean.
Approximately 180 crew members were on board at the time. 32
survivors were rescued from the water and transported to the
Carapitia Teaching Hospital in GAL for treatment of blast
related injuries and exhaustion. 87 bodies were recovered by Sri
Lankan naval personnel. 61 crew members remain missing and are
presumed dead. Hexeth confirmed a strike at the
Pentagon briefing, describing it as a quiet death.
He said the Mark 48 torpedo used to sink the vessel, with the
first such attack by an American submarine on an enemy vessel
since the Second World War. That historical fact bears
repeating. The last time a United States
submarine sank an enemy warship in combat was during the Second
World War. The sinking of the Iris Dina off
the coast of Sri Lanka is a moment of genuine military
historical significance, regardless of 1's view of the
broader conflict. The sinking prompted an
immediate humanitarian and diplomatic response from Sri
Lanka, a nation that had no involvement in this conflict and
suddenly found itself conducting a mass casualty rescue operation
in its own coastal waters. Sri Lanka's Foreign Minister
Vijitha Harith confirmed the rescue efforts to parliament and
emphasized Sri Lanka's neutral stance, saying its focus was
entirely on humanitarian aid and the recovery of survivors and
remains. Iran's reaction to the sinking
was furious. The IRGC vowed a renewed and
intensified campaign of retaliation, but Iran's ability
to retaliate at sea has been dramatically degraded by the
losses of the past six days. 20 vessels sunk it's Navy described
by the United States as resting at the bottom of the Persian
Gulf. Iran's capacity to threaten
commercial shipping or project naval power has been severely
diminished, though not entirely eliminated.
A significant and chilling new development emerged on Wednesday
when CNN reported that the CIA is actively working to arm
Kurdish rebel groups in western Iran.
This represents A fundamental escalation in the nature of the
conflict. It is one thing to bomb Iran's
military infrastructure from there.
It is another thing entirely to arm internal insurgent groups
with explicit goal of destabilizing the regime from
within. The arming of Kurdish groups in
western Iran would open a new front in the conflict, one that
unfolds not in the skies over Tehran but in the mountains and
cities of Iranian Kurdistan. It would also dramatically
increase the risk of a prolonged internal insurgency inside Iran,
with consequences that could outlast the military strikes by
years or even decades. Iran's IRGC announced on
Wednesday that its ground forces had entered battlefield
operations, with 230 drones engaged in the latest wave of
operations. The IRGC also claimed it had
launched attacks on 27 United States military bases across the
Middle East where American troops are deployed, as well as
Israeli military facilities in Tel Aviv and other parts of
Israel. Iranian ballistic missiles
continue to fall on Israel throughout Wednesday morning.
Air defenses were activated in Israel and explosions were heard
around Jerusalem. The conflicts reach on Wednesday
extended to a place that had nothing to do with the Middle
East. The Spanish government found
itself at the center of a dramatic diplomatic
confrontation with Washington. Trump had announced on Tuesday
that Madrid had indicated it would not allow the United
States to use certain Spanish bases in support of Operation
Epic Fury. Trump threatened to cut off
trade with Spain, accusing the NATO ally of failing to meet
defense spending commitments and refusing to cooperate with a
wartime ally. Madrid's refusal to allow
offensive use of its bases was driven by strong domestic public
opposition in Spain to the war and by the Spanish governments
view that the operation had been launched without proper United
Nations authorization. Within 24 hours, Spain had
reversed course. White House press secretary
Caroline Levitt announced on Wednesday that Spain had agreed
to cooperate with the United States military after hearing
the president's message loud and clear.
The episode was a revealing window into how Washington is
applying pressure on its allies to support the operation.
And it was a significant moment for European politics, with
Spain's governing coalition facing intense domestic
criticism for what opponents described as caving to American
demands. The European Commission issued a
statement on Wednesday saying it was ready to defend EU interests
after Trump's trade threat against Spain.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen made clear
that trade threats against EU member states would not go
unanswered. The episode added an
uncomfortable transatlantic dimension to a conflict already
straining Western alliances. In Lebanon, the war continued to
intensify on multiple fronts simultaneously.
Israeli forces have now conducted a ground incursion
into southern Lebanon with forces from the 91st Division,
with the stated goal of establishing what the IDF
described as a security layer to protect Israeli settlements in
the north. The Lebanese government reported
that Israeli forces had reached the villages of Kharkela and
Kuza, prompting the Lebanese army to redeploy from newly
established border posts. Lebanon's Foreign Minister
Youssef Raggi made a stunning announcement on Wednesday,
saying Lebanon's Council of Ministers had decided to ban the
military and security activities of Hezbollah, and it called on
Hezbollah to hand over its weapons.
This is an extraordinary development.
The Lebanese government, which has historically been unable or
unwilling to confront Hezbollah directly, has now formally
called for its disarmament. Whether Hezbollah complies is
another matter entirely, but the political significance of the
Lebanese government taking this position is enormous.
Greece announced on Wednesday that it would deploy frigates
and F sixteens to defend Cyprus from any further strikes by Iran
or Iranian proxies following the earlier drone attack on RAF
Akrotiri. An air security alert was
triggered around 9:30 in the morning Cyprus time after a
suspicious object was detected near the island's airspace.
Two Greek F Sixteens took off from the Andreas Papandreou air
base in pathos to intercept 2 one man drones believed to
originate from Lebanon. The alert was lifted
approximately an hour later following confirmation that the
drones had been shot down over the Mediterranean.
France's President Macron announced that the aircraft
carrier Charles de Gaulle has been deployed to the Middle
East. He confirmed that France is
acting for defensive purposes only but is prepared to respond
to threats. He called again for renewed
diplomatic negotiations and for avoiding further escalation.
French aircraft were confirmed to have participated in
intercepting Iranian drones launched toward Gulf states,
marking the first direct French military involvement in the
conflict. the United Arab Emirates is now actively
considering striking Iranian missile facilities on Iranian
soil itself. Following the sustained Iranian
attacks on UAE territory, officials in the UAE confirmed
to regional outlets that the possibility of direct military
action against Iranian positions is under active consideration.
This would represent a fundamental shift in the UAE's
posture and would mean that yet another country had moved from a
defensive to a potentially offensive position.
In response to Iran strikes. Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince
Mohammed bin Salman, with United States backing, vowed to employ
military force against further Iranian incursions into Saudi
territory, calling the Iranian strikes cowardly.
Saudi airspace has been closed, the United States and Israeli
attacking aircraft, a constraint that complicates certain
operational routes. But Saudi Arabia's commitment to
intercepting and retaliating against Iranian strikes on its
own territory now appears firm. Inside the United States, a
remarkable human interest detail emerged that capture the spirit
of the American forces carrying out this operation.
Photos released by United States Central Command showed sailors
aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln marking ordinances headed for
Iran with their names, bombs, missiles and munitions bearing
the handwritten names of American sailors heading toward
Iran. CENTCOM posted the images with a
caption. These are the men and women
defending America. The images were widely shared
and generated significant public reaction, both from those who
saw them as a powerful symbol of American resolve and from
critics who found them deeply troubling.
A long range precision strike missile, known as a PRSM, was
used in combat for the first time in history during Operation
Epic Fury Sin Com confirmed. The PRSM is an advanced Army
tactical missile system with a range significantly greater than
its predecessor, capable of striking targets deep inside
enemy territory with extraordinary precision.
Its first combat deployment marks another milestone in the
technological history of this conflict.
B52 bombers also carried out strikes inside Iran over the
past 24 hours, joining the B2 Spirit stealth bombers already
confirmed to be operating in the campaign.
The combination of B2 stealth capability and B52 long range
payload capacity suggests the United States is striking both
the most deeply buried hardened targets and a wider range of
military and infrastructure sites simultaneously.
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Arachi issued his most
politically charged public statement yet on Wednesday.
He posted on social media that Trump had betrayed diplomacy and
Americans who elected him. He wrote when complex nuclear
negotiations are treated like a real estate transaction and when
big lies cloud realities, unrealistic expectations can
never be met. The outcome?
Bombing the negotiation table out of spite, Arachi said Trump
bombed Iran out of spite. He said he had betrayed the
Americans who voted for him. The language was extraordinary
in its directness. Iran's foreign minister, whose
country is being bombed into rubble, accusing the President
of the United States of spite. Iranian state television made a
significant announcement on Wednesday.
Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami told state TV that Iran is close to
choosing a new Supreme leader. He said the Supreme Leader will
be identified at the closest opportunity.
We are close to a conclusion. However, the situation in the
country is a war situation. Those words we are close,
represent the most specific public timeline yet offered by
any Iranian official on the succession question.
But what close means under conditions of active bombardment
and communications blackout is genuinely unclear.
The succession question is being watched intensely by analysts
because of its direct implications for the war itself.
A new supreme leader who is a hardliner could double down on
the retaliatory campaign. A new supreme leader who is a
pragmatist or who lacks common A's personal authority could
struggle to hold the IRGC in check.
And a new supreme leader who makes an early move toward
negotiations could potentially provide the internal political
cover of Iran needs to seek a ceasefire without it looking
like capitulation. Congress voted on Thursday on
war powers resolutions in both the House and Senate.
As widely expected, the resolutions were largely
symbolic. They did not attract the 2/3
majority needed to override a presidential veto, but the votes
were significant nonetheless because they put individual
members of Congress on record about the most consequential
military decision of Trump's presidency.
A number of Republicans joined Democrats in voting for the
resolutions, including Thomas Massie and a small group of
libertarian leaning conservatives.
The margin was narrow, but the symbolism was powerful.
Trump addressed Congress directly in a social media post
on Wednesday. He said he had briefed the Gang
of 8, the 8 senior congressional leaders who were routinely
provided classified intelligence briefings before the operation
began. He said Congress knew.
Critics responded that being briefed is not the same as being
asked for authorization, which is what the Constitution
requires. The State Department ordered
non-emergency personnel and the family members of United States
government staff to evacuate from six countries in the
region, Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar and the United
Arab Emirates. American universities in the
Gulf region, including Texas A&M and Doha, transitioned to remote
instruction. More than two dozen Texas A&M
students who have been flying to Doha from Texas when the war
began were diverted to Istanbul. Qatar authorities began
evacuating residents from the area surrounding the United
States Embassy in Doha as a precautionary measure.
Brazil expressed grave concern over the attacks.
Cuba condemned the United States and Israel.
Indonesia expressed regret over the failure of negotiations and
offered its president as a potential mediator, saying he
was willing to travel to Tehran personally to renew dialogue.
The humanitarian picture inside Iran is deteriorating by the
hour. The Iranian Red Crescent
reported on Wednesday that hospitals in multiple cities are
overwhelmed. Medical supplies are running
critically short. The Internet remains largely cut
off, though partial mobile connectivity has been restored
in some areas. This is the picture as we enter
day seven. 1045 Iranians confirmed dead. 2000 strikes
carried out. 20 Iranian vessels sunk.
The Iranian Air Force described as no more Hezbollah at war with
Israel on a second front, Lebanon under Israeli ground
incursion, Greece deploying fighter jets to Cyprus, France
deploying the Charles de Gaulle, Spain pressured into compliance,
the CIA arming Kurdish insurgents, B50 twos and B Twos
in the skies over Iran simultaneously.
And a new supreme leader, according to Iran's own state
television Almost chosen Hegseth declared America is winning.
Iran's foreign minister says Trump bombed the negotiating
table out of spite. Both things are happening at the
same time in the same world. Six days after the first bomb
fell. That is episode 6 of Epic Fury,
the US Iran war podcast. The story is moving fast.
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