Military Command
Appears in 2 stories
The US military command responsible for the Middle East, directing the American portion of joint strikes codenamed Operation Epic Fury. - Leading Operation Epic Fury
Ali Khamenei held the title of supreme leader of Iran for 36 years—longer than any head of state in the modern Middle East. On February 28, 2026, joint US-Israeli strikes on his Tehran compound killed him, along with his daughter, son-in-law, grandson, and at least seven senior military and intelligence officials. Iran's constitutional succession process has never been tested under fire. Now it must function during an active bombing campaign.
Updated Yesterday
US military command responsible for operations across 21 countries in the Middle East and Central Asia. - Consolidating Middle East presence; focused on Syria ISIS operations
The United States returned to Iraq in 2014 after ISIS captured Mosul and threatened Baghdad. Twelve years later, American forces completed their withdrawal from federal Iraqi territory on January 17, 2026, with the Iraqi Army assuming full control of Al-Asad Air Base in Anbar province. The facility once housed up to 5,000 coalition troops and survived Iranian missile strikes in 2020. Roughly 2,000 US troops remain in Iraq's Kurdistan region and Syria to continue counter-ISIS operations through at least September 2026.
Updated Jan 19
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