Elbridge Colby, Under Secretary of War for Policy and the architect of the 2026 National Defense Strategy, has publicly outlined the precise military objectives behind Operation Epic Fury against Iran. Speaking at the Council on Foreign Relations on March 4, Colby stated that the President has directed US forces "to conduct a military campaign with a focus on degrading and destroying the Islamic Republic of Iran's ability to project military power in the region and potentially beyond."

As reported by "Hvylya", citing Colby's wide-ranging remarks at the CFR, the campaign targets Iran's missile capabilities, one-way attack drone production, and naval forces. He noted that Israeli forces are "operating further north, with a somewhat overlapping set of objectives and goals," but described the two campaigns as "very close and overlapping" rather than identical.

Colby took care to distinguish the military mission from the broader political goal of regime change. When pressed by CFR President Michael Froman on whether regime change was the objective, Colby pushed back against a simple answer: "That's making it seem like I'm saying that that would not be a desirable outcome." He clarified that the "designated tasks to the United States Armed Forces are to destroy and degrade the power projection forces," while acknowledging that "other countries and so on" may be working toward broader political change in Iran.

A key part of the strategic rationale, Colby explained, is preventing Iran from rebuilding a conventional military shield behind which it could resume its pursuit of nuclear weapons. He noted that while Operation Midnight Hammer had "decisively set back" Iran's nuclear program, "there was the potential for the Islamic Republic to be able to build up its conventional missile forces and other capabilities to shield the ability to resume a pursuit of a nuclear weapon."

On the operational progress, Colby said the campaign is shifting from an initial phase focused on "bringing down air defenses and other kinds of tactically imminent threats" to one where US forces can "get on top of the target" and employ "precision gravity bombs and other kinds of comparable weapons." He cited CENTCOM commander Admiral Cooper's assessment that operations are "on plan."

Colby also addressed the international response, noting broad support from Germany, France, Australia, and Gulf states. "Lots of support for what we're doing and very little credible opposition," he said, framing the campaign as one that "will leave us better off under a range of outcomes."

Also read: "Operation Epic Fury Is Approved": The Moment Trump Gave the Final Order Aboard Air Force One