Letters from an American The Widening War in Iran
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Mar 4, 2026 A report on the launch of Operation Epic Fury and the shift from deterrence to active combat. Discussion of U.S. casualties, carrier and troop deployments, and the rising financial cost of strikes. Coverage of regional evacuations, congressional funding expectations, and questions about presidential war-making authority. A look at U.S. Southern Command actions in Ecuador against narco-terrorism.
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Operation Epic Fury Is Large and Risky
- The U.S. has rapidly escalated to large-scale combat in Operation Epic Fury with about 50,000 personnel and 200 fighter jets deployed to the Middle East.
- Heather Cox Richardson lists force composition, carrier presence, and reported casualties to show the operation's scale and risks from depleted interceptors.
Provide Evacuation Plans When Advising Departure
- Governments should provide clear evacuation plans when urging citizens to leave conflict zones, rather than only advising departure.
- Richardson notes the State Department urged up to a million U.S. nationals to leave while airports were closed, prompting later plans for charters and military transport.
Strikes Have Immediate Billion Dollar Price Tag
- The financial cost of strikes is already substantial, exceeding a billion dollars from equipment losses and deployment costs.
- Heather Cox Richardson itemizes three lost F-15Es, transport costs, missile prices, drone costs, and daily carrier operating expenses to illustrate taxpayer burden.