New weapons and war power worries emerge in Iran conflict
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U.S. sailors ready ordnance on the flight deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln during Operation Epic Fury. Photo: U.S. Navy/DVIDS
The U.S., Israel and Iran have been at war for days. The fighting has thus far:
- Produced several combat firsts, including in drone, missile and fighter performances;
- Supercharged debate about war powers and congressional oversight, or lack thereof;
- And killed many, including six American troops.
The big picture: The conflict is slowly expanding, as Iran lashes out at neighbors and tankers, Hezbollah lobs missiles from Lebanon and European governments mull their respective roles going forward.
Here are just some of the key stats, observations, remarks and achievements driving the Operation Epic Fury conversation:
U.S. troops were killed when Iran attacked a tactical operations center, according to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. (CNN previously reported it was a suspected drone strike.)
- Hegseth also did not publicly rule out putting boots on the ground. Both President Trump and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine warned of additional casualties.
The U.S. for the first time used LUCAS attack drones, which are modeled after Iran's deadly delta-winged Shahed.
- Each costs about $35,000. They were launched by Task Force Scorpion Strike, a group that was publicly revealed in December.
The U.S. also fired the new Precision Strike Missile, or PrSM, from a High Mobility Artillery Rocket System.
- The weaponry was visible in footage shared by Central Command, as analysts noted.
The U.S. has thus far used "tens of thousands" of pieces of ordnance in its campaign, according to Caine.
- Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles were part of the opening salvo, as Cyber and Space commands worked their magic behind the scenes.
At least one photo of a Tomahawk launch shows the munition in an unusual glossy-black paint scheme.
- It could be a measure to reduce detectability — aka increase stealth. The War Zone drew comparisons to the Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile.
Trump said American forces sank nine Iranian warships and are working to finish off the rest of its navy. CENTCOM called specific attention to a foundering corvette in the Gulf of Oman.
- "Abandon ship," the command posted on X.
The U.K. is sending its HMS Dragon warship and Wildcat helicopters, armed with drone-busting Martlet missiles, into the Eastern Mediterranean. British officials also said their intelligence community is "making a serious contribution" and that the U.S. can use the Diego Garcia and RAF Fairford bases.
- But British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said the country "will not join offensive action," despite Iran's "scorched earth strategy."
Israel said it achieved air superiority over Tehran, employing approximately 200 fighter jets and attack helicopters.
- The aircraft took out ballistic missile launchers, air-defense systems, command-and-control nodes and more than 50 drones, according to Israel Defense Forces tallies.
Qatar said it downed two Iranian Su-24 aircraft and intercepted seven ballistic missiles.
- The country also denied a Bloomberg report that it was running low on Patriot interceptors.
What we're watching: How long the conflict persists. American officials have suggested weeks, at least.
- "Make no mistake, the Islamic Republic is still fighting," Behnam Ben Taleblu, an expert at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told Axios.
- "It may be leaderless, but not rudderless."
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