First Strike: 1,000 Targets in 24 Hours
At 1:15 AM on February 28, 2026, the US Central Command launched Operation Epic Fury, a coordinated attack with Israel that targeted 1,000 Iranian sites within 24 hours. According to a CENTCOM report, the conflict involved B-2 stealth bombers, F-35I Rafael Adir aircraft, and LUCAS drones, a US-designed model replicated by the Iranian Shahed-136.
“The only way to stop the threat is to destroy the missiles at their source, in their storage depots or in the launchers used to strike allies in the Gulf,” stated British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, authorizing the use of British bases for missile operations.
The Conflict’s Logistics Chain
The conflict’s logistics rely on a network of air and naval bases distributed throughout the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea. The Al Udeid base in Qatar served as the main hub for B-2 operations, while the US Navy used the Bahrain base for support operations. The LUCAS system, manufactured by Northrop Grumman, has an operational range of 1,200 km and a unit cost of $12,000, making it an economical precision weapon for targeting static objectives.
Iranian missile depots, such as those in Khorramabad and Ahvaz, were targeted with Tomahawk missiles, with an average flight time of 2 hours from bases in Kuwait. The annual production capacity of Tomahawk missiles is 1,200 units, with a cost of $1.5 million each. The lack of advanced air defenses in these areas allowed for a success rate exceeding 90%.
Economic and Geoeconomic Impacts
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has driven the price of Brent to $73 per barrel, with Russian analysts like Kirill Dmitriev predicting an increase to $100 per barrel by the end of the year. BP has increased shale production in Texas by 15%, while OPEC has approved a moderate increase of 206,000 barrels per day. The Canadian company SRC has accelerated the production of rare earth elements, a sector in which China holds 95% of global capacity.
The conflict’s logistics have impacted companies such as Lockheed Martin (manufacturer of F-35I) and Raytheon (manufacturer of Tomahawk). The lack of alternative bases has forced tankers to take longer routes, increasing transportation costs by 30%.
Operational Insights
Monitor oil tanker traffic in the Gulf of Aden and the price of Brent as indicators of instability. Verify the production capacity of weapons by Northrop Grumman and Raytheon. The evolution of the conflict will depend on the ability to maintain alternative routes and the Iranian response in terms of missile capabilities.
Photo by Fré Sonneveld on Unsplash
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