The Pentagon confirmed Wednesday that "Operation Epic Fury," the U.S. military mission against Iran, officially ended on May 5. The announcement followed the release of an internal Air Force email from August obtained by CBS News, which instructed service members to stop using the operation's name when referring to ongoing U.S. military activities in the region. Although Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth had previously indicated the operation had concluded, official guidance to shift terminology was disseminated across the Defense Department three months later.
The conflict between the U.S. and Iran began roughly six months ago following a joint U.S. and Israeli attack on Iran. While a temporary ceasefire was established in early April, hostilities resumed in July. According to a formal notification to Congress by President Trump on July 7, military action against Iran restarted following the collapse of negotiations. During the period between the official end of Operation Epic Fury in May and September, U.S. forces have continued maritime operations and periodic strikes against Iranian targets.
The August 7 email, issued by the office of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and led by chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell, directed military leaders to use the phrase "overseas operations in the U.S. Central Command Area of Responsibility" instead of the former operation name. Military officials speaking anonymously reported that this guidance was distributed throughout August and September. The Pentagon stated the name change aligns with the conclusion of the mission, noting that subsequent activities have focused on protecting commercial shipping and diminishing threats from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
The formal end date of a named military operation affects how the Department of Defense (DOD) categorizes service member casualties and determines eligibility for military awards. These designations provide the official framework for tracking the duration and human cost of American involvement in foreign conflicts. In one instance, the Pentagon's Defense Casualty Analysis System originally listed four service members killed in July—1st Lt. Tyler James Feehan, Staff Sgt. Angel Rampersad, Pfc. Isabella Gonzales, and Staff Sgt. Michael Emmanuel Swinton—as casualties of Operation Epic Fury.
Because the DOD now states the operation ended May 5, these four deaths, which occurred more than two months later, were moved to a general "overseas operations" category. This administrative change technically reduced the official death toll specifically attributed to Operation Epic Fury from 18 to 14. A Pentagon official stated that since the operation concluded, the department classifies casualties as overseas operations in the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) area of responsibility. However, the Defense Casualty Analysis System currently shows five service members wounded in June and one killed in July still listed under the "Epic Fury" banner, and the site does not yet display an official end date for the mission.
The lack of clarity regarding the operation's status may affect how Congress and the public evaluate the scope of the ongoing Iran conflict. While Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary Hegseth referred to the mission in the past tense in May, the U.S. and Iran have continued to exchange fire, including two rounds of U.S. strikes and Iranian counterattacks this week. President Trump announced on May 5 that "Project Freedom," a maritime mission intended to protect the Strait of Hormuz, would be placed on hold; its current operational status remains unconfirmed.