Pentagon Inspector General Report on Operation Epic Fury

The following is the Defense Department Office of Inspector General report to Congress on Operation Epic Fury, published Sept. 14, 2026.

This is the first report on OEF. This report fulfills a quarterly reporting responsibility pursuant to the Inspector General Act of 1978, as amended. This report covers the period through June 30, 2026.

From the Report

Introduction

On February 28, 2026, U.S. forces launched Operation Epic Fury (OEF) as a U.S.-Israeli partnered campaign to “destroy Iran’s ability to project military power” in the region by striking Iranian nuclear, missile, naval, and regime security targets. According to State, Iran poses the greatest threat to the United States from the Middle East, both directly, in the form of its nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities, and indirectly, in its funding of terror proxies. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said that for decades, Iran has waged an ongoing conflict with the United States that has included lethal attacks against U.S. forces in the Middle East, threats and attacks against regional countries, and support to terrorist proxy organizations. After U.S. strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites in June 2025, Iran expanded its ballistic missile production to protect its nuclear weapons development program.

Mission Objectives

Secretary Hegseth said that through OEF, the United States seeks to destroy Iran’s offensive missiles, missile production, navy, and other security infrastructure, and ensure that Iran never has nuclear weapons. General Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said that more broadly, the OEF mission is to defend the United States and “disrupt, degrade, deny, and destroy Iran’s ability to conduct and sustain combat operations.” The full OEF mission statement is classified.

The U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM) reported that it continued to refine and adjust the OEF mission after it began.7 U.S. naval operations in the Strait of Hormuz (SoH), including those that occurred after the April 7 ceasefire, were part of the OEF mission, USCENTCOM said.

USCENTCOM, with support from multiple U.S. combatant commands, is responsible for executing the OEF campaign. OEF has involved the integration of air, land, sea, cyber, and space components; an extensive, rapid deployment of forces and assets; expansion of basing access; and regionally integrated air defense networks to protect the forces.

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