US Launches Major Military Operation Against Iran Amid Escalating Tensions, Raising Questions of Full-Scale War

The United States launched a major military operation against Iran starting Saturday. Under this campaign, named Operation Epic Fury by President Donald Trump's administration, strikes have been conducted against various targets across Iran.

This escalation of tensions has already resulted in human casualties and increased regional tension and instability. As the attacks continue, several questions arise: Is the US now truly engaged in war with Iran? Why did Washington decide to attack? And could this conflict expand to the point where US ground troops are deployed?

• How many people have died in the attacks?

According to the Iranian Red Crescent, at least 787 people have died in Iran. As the US continues its attacks on Iran, and Iran responds with missile and drone strikes on US bases in the region and on Israel, six US soldiers have been killed and 18 wounded.

According to US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, a projectile penetrated the air defense system and struck a secure US military base. He did not disclose the location of the base, but reports suggest the casualties occurred in Kuwait.

"We have an air defense system, and many attacks are coming from that direction. We destroy most of them; our air defense system is excellent," Hegseth said.

He added, "Sometimes, unfortunately, one attack can breach the security perimeter, which we call a squirt. In this particular incident, it struck a strategic operations center."

In Iran, the deadliest single incident reported so far occurred in the southeastern city of Minab, where a primary school was attacked, resulting in the deaths of at least 165 students.

• Is the US at war with Iran?

The US Constitution grants Congress the exclusive power to declare war. However, as the President is the Commander-in-Chief of the military, they have the authority to respond to immediate threats.

David Schultz, a professor of Political Science and Law at Hamline University, told Al Jazeera that this structure allows modern presidents to circumvent the rules for formal declarations of war by labeling military actions as defensive or emergency measures.

The US last formally declared war during World War II. Conflicts like those in Vietnam and Iraq were fought without a formal declaration.

In 1973, Congress passed the War Powers Resolution, which attempts to limit unilateral presidential military action to 60 days. Under this law, the President must inform Congress within 48 hours of initiating an attack.

Trump informed Congress about the attack, stating that despite diplomatic efforts, the threat from Iran had become intolerable. However, Oman, which has been mediating between the US and Iran, had previously stated that both sides were close to an agreement.

Democratic lawmakers have questioned the justification for the attack and expressed concern over the potential violation of the War Powers Resolution.

According to Paul Quirk, a Political Science professor at the University of British Columbia, the difference between an attack and a war ultimately depends on its duration and intensity. He stated, "If it is short, Americans call it an attack, but if it continues for weeks or months (which seems likely), it will be called a war."

• Why did the US attack Iran?

The Trump administration has presented the following main reasons behind this attack:

1. To Halt Tehran's Nuclear Program:

Trump and Vice President JD Vance have made it clear that preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons is a primary goal. "The goal of the attack is to permanently eliminate Iran's nuclear program," Trump said.

However, the administration has not presented any evidence to confirm the claim that Iran was close to developing nuclear weapons before the attack. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) only yesterday stated there was no evidence of Iran having a nuclear weapons program.

2. Preemptive Defense:

The US argued that this attack was a preemptive and defensive measure to prevent potential Iranian attacks on its troops, bases, and allies. Indeed, following the US attack, Iran launched a barrage of missiles and drones at Gulf nations hosting US forces.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio indicated that the US took action because Israel was preparing a military strike against Iran. He said, "We knew that Israeli action was imminent... and we also knew that if we did not take preemptive action before they attacked, we would suffer massive casualties."

However, experts suggest a lack of consistency in the administration's narrative. Trump himself contradicted Rubio's statement. Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, he stated that the US attacked because they thought Tehran would strike first. Christopher Preble, a Senior Fellow at the Stimson Center, says, "We don't even know what the administration's goal is. Their statements are contradictory."

3. Regime Change:

Trump has openly called on the Iranian people to overthrow their government and take control of their destiny.

4. Targeting Iran-Backed Groups:

Another objective of this campaign is to destroy the support Iran provides to groups such as Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, and Hamas in Gaza.

• Will US ground troops be sent to Iran?

So far, the US has relied only on air and naval strikes, and there has been no formal announcement of ground action. However, Trump has not ruled out the possibility. When asked if US forces might be deployed in Iran, Trump responded, "I wouldn't say never," adding that the administration would do "whatever is necessary."

Experts say that air strikes alone are unlikely to permanently end Iran's nuclear program, which Tehran claims has always been peaceful. "You cannot completely destroy or eliminate a country's nuclear capability. They always have the capacity to rebuild it," Preble said.

But if the US were to send ground troops, the level of challenge would be immense, whether Trump's goal is to destroy Iran's nuclear facilities and missiles or to bring about regime change.

Preble notes, "Iran is three to four times the size of Iraq in 2003. The US never had enough troops to maintain peace in Iraq... and today the US does not have enough troops to prevent Iran from descending into chaos."

The US invasion of Iraq in 2003 quickly ousted leader Saddam Hussein within a few weeks, but the subsequent occupation turned into an insurgency that lasted for years, requiring over 150,000 US soldiers at one point to control.

According to experts, any ground operation in Iran would be extremely difficult. "Compared to this, the Iraq mission would look very easy," Preble added. "And certainly, the Iraq mission was not easy. Sending troops to Iran is likely to be extremely costly and prolonged—especially for the Iranian people, but also for American service members."

• How long can the US sustain high-intensity air operations in Iran?

This primarily depends on three factors: military resources, financial reserves, and political will.

Lawmakers can force the Trump administration to scale down or end the operation by passing resolutions to stop the campaign from continuing. It remains uncertain whether Democrats can win over enough Republicans to their side, especially with slim Republican majorities in both houses of Congress, as reported by Roxilanne Jordan of Al Jazeera from Washington D.C.

Military capacity is another limitation. The stockpile of missiles, precision-guided munitions, interceptor systems, and other equipment is finite. These stockpiles will eventually deplete unless defense contractors actively produce and supply weapons under Pentagon contracts.