Operation Epic Fury 2.0: US weighs Kharg strike and uranium seizure mission in Iran

Dubai: Fears of a renewed US-Iran war escalated sharply on Saturday after reports emerged that Washington and Tel Aviv are preparing fresh military options against Tehran, including a possible strike on Kharg Island — Iran’s most critical oil export hub.

The renewed war fears came as US President Donald Trump shared an ominous AI-generated image on Truth Social warning of the “calm before the storm”. The graphic showed Trump alongside a US Navy admiral facing stormy waters filled with warships, including one carrying the Iranian flag.

Trump later posted another clip appearing to show a US destroyer shooting down an Iranian aircraft, adding to growing speculation that military action may again be on the table after weeks of stalled diplomacy.

According to reports by The New York Times and Israeli media outlets, the United States and Israel are carrying out some of their most intense preparations yet for a possible return to war, with discussions reportedly centering on what some officials are calling “Operation Epic Fury 2.0”.

The reports said military planners are examining a range of options, including expanded bombing campaigns against Iranian military and nuclear infrastructure, operations targeting underground uranium sites, and even a possible assault on Kharg Island.

According to The New York Times, one option under discussion involves deploying commandos into Iran to retrieve highly enriched uranium believed to be buried beneath damaged nuclear sites. Military officials told the newspaper such an operation would be extremely risky, requiring thousands of supporting troops to secure the area and potentially engage Iranian ground forces.

Backbone of Iran’s oil exports

Located in the Arabian Gulf off Iran’s southern coast, Kharg Island is regarded as the backbone of Iran’s oil exports. Analysts say any strike on the island could severely disrupt Tehran’s ability to export crude and potentially send global oil prices soaring.

The latest escalation follows the collapse of Pakistani-mediated negotiations backed by China, which had sought to turn the fragile ceasefire into a broader agreement covering Iran’s nuclear programme and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.

Those talks have largely stalled over Tehran’s refusal to fully halt uranium enrichment and disagreements over wartime control of the strategic waterway.

A senior Israeli official quoted by Channel 12 said Israel was now preparing for “days to weeks” of renewed fighting while awaiting Trump’s final decision.

“The Americans understand that negotiations with Iran are going nowhere,” the unnamed official reportedly said.

Trump himself appeared to signal a tougher posture after returning from China on Friday. While he indicated he might accept a 20-year suspension of Iran’s uranium enrichment activities — rather than demanding a permanent halt — he also dismissed Tehran’s latest proposal as “unacceptable”.

Reprisal

Meanwhile, US security agencies remain on heightened alert over fears of retaliation linked to the standoff with Iran. According to CNN, US officials suspect Iran may have been behind a recent cyberattack targeting fuel storage monitoring systems supplying gas stations in several American states.

The report said hackers manipulated display systems showing fuel levels, though no physical damage was caused.

At the same time, Washington has intensified pressure in the Gulf, warning international shipping firms that any payments or transit tolls made to Iran for passage through the Strait of Hormuz could trigger US sanctions.

The Strait remains one of the world’s most critical energy chokepoints, carrying roughly a fifth of global oil and gas supplies.

With diplomacy faltering, military assets repositioning across the region and increasingly combative rhetoric from both sides, concerns are growing that the uneasy pause in fighting may only have been temporary — the calm before another storm.