How US war on Iran was planned, executed

Trump

After years of US planning and weeks of military buildup, President Donald Trump gave the order for American forces to strike Iran: “Operation Epic Fury is approved. No aborts. Good luck.”

US forces then launched a sweeping campaign of strikes that has smashed Iranian command-and-control sites, destroyed missile infrastructure and sunk navy vessels.

“More than 100 aircraft launched from land, sea — fighters, tankers, airborne early warning, electronic attack, bombers from the States and unmanned platforms — forming a single synchronized wave,” according to General Dan Caine.

The US Navy also launched Tomahawk cruise missiles at Iranian navy vessels, while American ground forces “fired precision standoff weapons,” Caine said.

“Coordinated space and cyber operations effectively disrupted communications and sensor networks across the area of responsibility, leaving the adversary without the ability to see… or respond effectively.”

The start of the campaign “marked the culmination of months, and in some cases, years, of deliberate planning and refinement against this particular target set.”

The targets

Caine said the United States struck more than 1,000 targets in the first 24 hours of the war.

“In the initial phase, CENTCOM’s focus was systematic targeting of Iranians’ command-and-control infrastructure, naval forces, ballistic missile sites and intelligence infrastructure, designed to daze and confuse them,” he said.

Below, AFP examines key moments in the US operation against Iran.

The buildup

The United States has for weeks been building up military forces in the Middle East “to reinforce deterrence and provide the president with credible options should action be required,” top US military officer General Dan Caine told a news conference on Monday.