The great wave of attacks has not yet been launched
En el espacio de setenta y dos horas, Estados Unidos ha transformado un asesinato estratégico en una campaña de destrucción sistemática, desplegando por primera vez bombarderos B-52 contra más de 1.700 objetivos iraníes en lo que el Pentágono denomina Operación Epic Fury. Lo que comenzó con la muerte del líder supremo Ali Jamenei ha escalado hasta convertirse en uno de los bombardeos más intensos de la historia reciente de Oriente Medio, con Israel como socio activo y el mundo conteniendo el aliento ante lo que Washington describe como apenas el preludio de una ofensiva aún mayor. El costo humano ya es irreversible: 787 muertos en Irán, seis soldados estadounidenses caídos, decenas de bajas en el Líbano, y una región entera reorganizando su geografía del miedo.
- La campaña se acelera en lugar de moderarse: de 1.250 objetivos en 48 horas se ha pasado a más de 1.700 en 72, con bombarderos estratégicos B-52 entrando en combate por primera vez.
- Irán responde con drones que alcanzan la embajada estadounidense en Arabia Saudita y bases militares en toda la región, dejando seis soldados americanos muertos y demostrando que la capacidad de represalia no ha sido neutralizada.
- La vida civil y diplomática se fractura: el Departamento de Estado cierra embajadas, evacúa ciudadanos de catorce países y declara el Estrecho de Ormuz zona de riesgo crítico para el comercio global.
- Trump advierte que la 'gran ola' de ataques aún no ha llegado, señalando semanas adicionales de ofensiva con el objetivo explícito de destruir el programa nuclear, naval y de misiles de Irán.
Estados Unidos ha entrado en una nueva fase de su campaña militar contra Irán, pasando de los ataques iniciales que acabaron con la vida del líder supremo Ali Jamenei el sábado a un bombardeo sostenido que ya supera los 1.700 objetivos en apenas tres días. El martes, el Mando Central estadounidense confirmó el despliegue de bombarderos estratégicos B-52 por primera vez en el conflicto, en el marco de la Operación Epic Fury, ejecutada en coordinación con Israel.
Los objetivos revelan una lógica de desmantelamiento metódico: centros de mando, la sede conjunta de los Guardianes de la Revolución, sistemas de defensa aérea integrados, silos de misiles balísticos, buques de guerra, submarinos e infraestructura de comunicaciones militares. A los B-52 se suman aviones furtivos B-2, drones kamikaze LUCAS y cazas F-35, mientras baterías Patriot y THAAD protegen las posiciones estadounidenses en la región.
Irán no ha permanecido pasivo. Sus drones alcanzaron la embajada de Estados Unidos en Arabia Saudita, provocando un incendio, y continuaron golpeando instalaciones militares americanas en Oriente Medio. Seis soldados estadounidenses han muerto en ataques de represalia. Dentro de Irán, la Media Luna Roja reporta 787 fallecidos desde el inicio del bombardeo conjunto. En el Líbano, los ataques israelíes han dejado cuarenta muertos y 246 heridos.
Ante el deterioro de la seguridad regional, Washington ordenó el cierre temporal de su embajada en Arabia Saudita y su consulado en Kuwait, e instó a los ciudadanos estadounidenses a abandonar catorce países de la zona. El Estrecho de Ormuz, arteria vital del comercio mundial, se ha convertido en un corredor de tensión extrema.
El presidente Trump ha dejado claro que la campaña se extenderá varias semanas más, con el objetivo declarado de neutralizar el programa nuclear iraní, destruir su capacidad naval y desmantelar su arsenal de misiles. Su advertencia más inquietante no alude a lo que ya ha ocurrido, sino a lo que está por venir: la 'gran ola' de ataques, dijo, aún no ha sido lanzada.
The United States has entered a new phase of its military campaign against Iran, moving from the initial strikes that killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on Saturday to a sustained bombardment that has now reached over 1,700 targets in just seventy-two hours. On Tuesday, the U.S. Central Command confirmed what had been widely anticipated: American B-52 strategic bombers had been deployed for the first time in what officials are calling Operation Epic Fury, a coordinated assault launched in partnership with Israel.
The scale of the operation has grown steadily. After the first forty-eight hours, the Pentagon had reported more than 1,250 strikes. The new count represents a significant acceleration, suggesting the campaign is intensifying rather than winding down. The targets tell a story of systematic dismantling: command and control centers, the joint headquarters of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the aerospace forces headquarters, integrated air defense systems, ballistic missile silos, naval vessels, submarines, anti-ship missile installations, and military communications infrastructure. The Americans have not relied on bombers alone. B-2 stealth aircraft, LUCAS kamikaze drones, and F-35 fighter jets have all been brought to bear. To defend against Iranian retaliation, the U.S. has positioned Patriot and THAAD air defense systems across the region.
Iran has not remained passive. Throughout Tuesday, Iranian drones continued striking Israeli targets and American military installations across the Middle East. Two drones hit the U.S. embassy in Saudi Arabia, starting a fire and causing material damage but no casualties. The Iranian response has exacted a cost: six American soldiers have been killed in retaliatory attacks so far. The Iranian Red Crescent reports 787 deaths within Iran since the combined Israeli-American bombardment began. In Lebanon, where Israeli strikes have continued, the health ministry counts forty dead and 246 wounded.
The security situation has deteriorated enough that the State Department has ordered the temporary closure of the American embassy in Saudi Arabia and its consulate in Kuwait. American citizens have been urged to leave fourteen countries in the region due to what officials describe as grave security risks. The Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most critical shipping lanes, has become a zone of heightened tension, prompting President Trump to announce what he called "reasonable insurance" for commercial vessels transiting the waterway.
Trump has made clear this is not a brief operation. He stated the offensive will continue for several more weeks, with the explicit goal of dismantling Iran's missile program, destroying its naval capacity, and neutralizing its nuclear facilities. More striking than what has already happened is what he suggested lies ahead: he warned that the "great wave" of attacks has not yet been launched, and that it could come "very soon." The implication is that the 1,700 targets struck in three days represent a foundation, not a climax. What comes next remains uncertain, but the trajectory is unmistakable.
Citações Notáveis
The great wave of attacks has not yet been launched, and it could come very soon— President Donald Trump
Iran stated it is ready for a very long war and claims to possess more effective weapons— Iranian officials
A Conversa do Hearth Outra perspectiva sobre a história
Why deploy B-52s now, after three days of strikes? What changes with that decision?
The B-52 is a statement. It's a weapon that can carry enormous payloads over vast distances and loiter for hours. Using it signals you're moving from reactive strikes to sustained, strategic pressure. It also tells Iran—and the world—that you're not constrained by geography or time.
The numbers jumped from 1,250 to 1,700 in just one day. Is that acceleration sustainable?
That's the question no one can answer yet. You can sustain high tempo for a while, but logistics matter. Ammunition, fuel, pilot fatigue, maintenance. Trump saying the "great wave" hasn't come yet suggests they're pacing themselves, which means yes, probably—at least for weeks.
Six American soldiers dead. That's not nothing. Why isn't that the headline?
Because from a military perspective, it's still a low cost for what's being inflicted. But you're right—those six families know something different. The asymmetry is real: we're striking 1,700 targets; they're hitting back with drones. The math favors the U.S., but the human cost is still there.
What does "reasonable insurance" for ships actually mean?
It means the U.S. is essentially saying it will protect commercial traffic through the Strait. It's an attempt to prevent economic collapse in the region while the military campaign continues. But it also means American naval assets are now guaranteeing global oil flows—that's a massive commitment.
If Trump says the big wave hasn't come yet, what's left to hit?
Nuclear facilities, probably. Command bunkers that are hardened or hidden. The infrastructure that keeps the regime functioning. Right now they're hitting military targets. The next phase could be about regime survival itself.