Why America Struck

The stated US rationale for Operation Epic Fury combined three elements: (1) Nuclear urgency — US envoy Witkoff stated Iran was “one week from bomb-making material,” with 440.9kg of 60%-enriched uranium (sufficient for ~10 weapons) confirmed by IAEA. The IAEA’s Feb 27 confidential report pinpointed the uranium in an Isfahan underground tunnel complex. (2) Missile and proxy threat — Iran’s 2,000-3,000 ballistic missile inventory and regional proxy network posed what Netanyahu called an “existential threat.” (3) Regime change as stated war aim — Trump declared regime change explicitly in an 8-minute address, calling on Iranians to “take over your government.” What makes the timing contested: On Feb 27 — the day before strikes — Omani FM Albusaidi publicly confirmed Iran had agreed to “zero accumulation, zero stockpiling, and full verification” of nuclear material. The strikes came approximately 15 hours after Iran publicly signaled acceptance of US nuclear demands through Omani mediation. No Congressional authorization was sought or granted; bipartisan War Powers challenges were filed in both chambers within hours.