What operation ‘Epic Fury’ means for the US, Iran, and beyond

1A

NPR

News

4.3 • 4.5K Ratings

🗓️ 2 March 2026

⏱️ 45 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

The United States is once again at war in the Middle East.

The Trump administration, with support from Israel, made targeted air strikes against high-profile targets in Iran this weekend. Tehran responded by firing its own missiles at nearby Israeli and American military bases. This all comes after weeks of talks between Washington and Tehran over the latter’s nuclear program and a major military buildup on the part of the U.S. in the Middle East. Several U.S. service members have been reported dead as a result of Iran’s retaliation.

President Donald Trump explained his rationale for the attacks in an eight-minute video posted on Truth Social Saturday morning, saying he hoped to destroy Iran’s nuclear program and cripple its military.

Now, leaders, analysts, and the world are wondering what yet another conflict in the region means for the futures of those who live there, the future of the global energy market, the midterm elections, and much more. We sit down with a panel of experts to unpack it all.

Find more of our programs online. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a.

See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.

NPR Privacy Policy

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Seattle, 1999, teen reporters hear a troubling rumor about a beloved teacher. They report it. He later dies. I was one of those students. Now I'm uncovering what really happened because people said we killed a man. Listen to adults in the room from KUOW Focus and the NPR Network.
0:21.2	Hi, it's Jen. Just a quick heads up before we start the show.
0:24.3	We opened our phone lines for reactions from you about the United States and Israel at war with Iran.
0:29.6	Our live phone lines are now closed, but you can always let us know what you think anytime
0:34.3	by leaving a message at 855-236-1-A-1-A or email us at 1A at wamu.org.
0:47.7	The United States and Israel are at war with Iran. In a video early Saturday on his social media site, Truth Social,
0:57.5	President Trump announced the first strikes.
0:59.8	Then in a second video on Sunday, the president said this.
1:03.3	An Iranian regime armed with long-range missiles
1:06.5	and nuclear weapons would be a dire threat to every American. We cannot allow a nation that
1:13.3	raises terrorist armies to possess such weapons would allow them to extort the world.
1:20.7	These actions are right and they are necessary to ensure that Americans will never have to face
1:26.7	a radical, bloodthirsty terrorist regime
1:30.5	armed with nuclear weapons and lots of threats. I once again urge the Revolutionary Guard,
1:37.9	the Iranian military police, to lay down your arms and receive full immunity or face certain death.
1:45.8	Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Air Force General
1:50.3	Dan Cain, spoke to the press Monday morning. As of now, the president has not done a full media
1:55.1	briefing about this operation. The Iranian Red Crescent Society says at least 555 Iranians have been killed in the strikes,
2:03.0	including Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Hamey and other political and military leaders.
2:08.9	Homanie's death led to celebrations in the streets across much of Iran.
2:12.9	Now, as Iran retaliates with strikes on U.S. and Israeli targets in the region,
2:22.1	the U.S. military confirms four service members have been killed in the Iran operation.
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from NPR, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of NPR and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.