President Trump gave the final order to attack Iran on Friday, Feb. 27, while flying aboard Air Force One to a speech about energy in Corpus Christi, Texas. His words were brief and decisive: "Operation Epic Fury is approved. No aborts. Good luck."
As reported by "Hvylya", citing the New York Times, the order came after weeks of deliberations during which Trump alternated between diplomatic overtures and war planning. In an interview with the Times on Sunday, the president said he had simply become convinced that Iran would never give him what he wanted. "Toward the end of the negotiation, I realized that these guys weren't going to get there," he said. "I said, 'Let's just do it.'"
The final diplomatic round in Geneva on Feb. 26 had sealed the decision. Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who presented a seven-page plan with proposed levels of future nuclear enrichment. The numbers alarmed the Americans, who insisted on zero enrichment and offered free nuclear fuel for a civilian program. Iran refused. When Witkoff and Kushner reported back to Trump, they told him a deal could not be reached.
Once on the ground in Texas, Trump hinted publicly that diplomacy had failed. He told reporters he was "not happy with the negotiation" and launched into a litany of grievances against Iran, saying the country had for decades been "blowing the legs off our people, blowing the face off our people, the arms."
The strikes began the next morning. In a coordinated U.S.-Israeli bombardment, Iran's supreme leader was killed, civilian buildings and military nuclear sites were destroyed, and the country was thrown into chaos. The attack triggered retaliatory violence across the region and has so far killed four U.S. troops and scores of Iranian civilians. Trump has acknowledged that more American casualties are likely as the assault continues.
Also read: Trump Issues Ultimatum to Iran's Military Amid "Epic Fury" Operation