U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine [EPA=Yonhap News 

It has been confirmed that the Trump administration meticulously prepared its military operation against Iran by repositioning military assets and troops across the Middle East while simultaneously continuing nuclear negotiations before the operation commenced.

Around the time the operation began, Iran's surveillance, communication, and response networks were disrupted, effectively neutralizing their capabilities before a surprise attack was launched, throwing Iran's military command into disarray.

On the 2nd (local time), U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine briefed reporters at the Pentagon on the military operation against Iran, codenamed 'Operation Epic Fury'.

According to Caine's announcement, the U.S. military began repositioning assets and personnel across the Middle East region starting 30 days prior to this military operation.

This was to ensure immediate deployment of forces if President Donald Trump, who was engaged in nuclear negotiations with Iran, made the final decision that a military operation was necessary.

Thousands of soldiers, hundreds of advanced 4th and 5th generation fighter jets, dozens of aerial refueling tankers, and two carrier strike groups, including the USS Abraham Lincoln and USS Gerald R. Ford, were deployed to the region.

Caine explained that following the directive from Secretary of Defense Pete Hegses, civilians and non-essential personnel were covertly redeployed for force protection, leaving only essential forces at bases and in operational areas by the time the operation began.

President Trump ordered the execution of the military operation at 3:38 p.m. EST on February 27th.

President Trump's directive read: "Operation Epic Fury approved. No holding back. Godspeed."

In response, joint forces in the region completed their final preparations for sortie.

Air defense units checked their systems to prepare for any Iranian response to the attack, and pilots performed final drills on attack plans. Air Force crews began final weapons loading, and the two carrier strike groups began moving to their launch points.

Operation centers in Tampa, Florida (home to U.S. Central Command), the Pentagon, and forward operating areas of Central Command were simultaneously activated.

Caine stated, "As always, maintaining operational secrecy was paramount, and we worked to preserve the element of surprise. It was kept extremely secret to ensure that at the H-hour of the operation, the enemy would only see speed, surprise, and bold action."

U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine (right) and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegses [Reuters=Yonhap News] 

The military operation commenced at 1:15 a.m. EST on February 28th, which was 9:45 a.m. local time in Tehran, Iran.

Under the leadership of U.S. Cyber Command and Space Force, Iran's surveillance, communication, and response capabilities were disrupted and paralyzed precisely at the start of combat.

With the commencement of the operation, over 100 aircraft launched from land and sea.

The initial attack from the sea was carried out by Tomahawk missiles fired by the U.S. Navy. The U.S. forces initiated strikes against Iranian naval targets and ground targets in the southern Iranian theater.

Over 1,000 targets were struck within the first 24 hours of the operation's commencement.

B-2 bombers conducted a 37-hour round trip from the U.S. mainland, dropping precision penetrating munitions (bunker busters) on targets in the southern Iranian theater and deep underground facilities.

The primary objective of the U.S. military was to strike Iran's command and control infrastructure, naval forces, ballistic missile bases, and intelligence infrastructure.

Separately, Israel neutralized hundreds of targets through hundreds of sorties.

Air defense units from allied nations, including Qatar, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Kuwait, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia, also participated in the combat, lending their support.

Caine stated, "Through the coordination of space and cyber operations, we effectively disrupted communication and surveillance networks across the operational area, leaving the enemy incapable of comprehending, coordinating, or responding to the situation."

Previously, U.S. newspapers such as The Wall Street Journal had reported that the United States and Israel determined the timing of the airstrikes based on intelligence regarding a meeting of senior Iranian officials.

The report suggested that by identifying the time and place where senior Iranian officials would gather, the efficiency of the attack was maximized to a devastating level.

During this military operation, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was also killed.

Caine explained, "The combined effect of rapid, precise, and overwhelming strikes secured local air superiority in the region. This not only enhances the protection of our forces but also enables sustained operations over Iranian airspace."

'Operation Epic Fury' is a major combat operation, an unprecedented scale of cooperative action carried out by the U.S. Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Space Force, Coast Guard, and Reserves alongside the Israeli military, Caine explained.

He stated, "This is a historic event not only in terms of the scale of the operation but also in the level of joint integration demonstrated across all elements of the joint force. This work is just beginning and will continue."

Caine further added, "This is not an overnight operation. Achieving military objectives will take time, and in some cases, will be a difficult and arduous task. Additional losses are expected, and as always, we will strive to minimize our own losses."