Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – Tensions between the United States and Iran have reached a critical phase following the launch of “Operation Epic Fury” by the Trump administration. The large-scale air and sea strikes targeting locations within Iran have sparked global speculation regarding a potential ground invasion by Washington.
As of Wednesday, March 4, 2026, the impact of the strikes is reported to be substantial. The Iranian Red Crescent has recorded at least 787 fatalities, including an incident where a bomb struck a girls’ elementary school in Minab, resulting in the deaths of 165 students.
Meanwhile, six U.S. Soldiers have been killed and 18 wounded as a result of retaliatory projectile attacks from Iran targeting U.S. Assets in the Gulf region. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed a breach in air defenses led to the casualties on the American side.
“You have air defense and a lot [of projectiles] coming in, and we shoot down most of it. But every once in a while, one—we call them ‘squirters’—gets through, and in this particular case, it hit a tactical operations center,” Hegseth stated.
Regarding the potential for escalation to a ground invasion, President Donald Trump did not provide a definitive answer but left all options open. When asked whether he would deploy infantry troops to Iran, Trump said he had not ruled it out.
“I would never say never. We will do whatever is necessary,” he said.
The military action has triggered a legal debate concerning the status of “war” without Congressional authorization. David Schultz, a professor of political science at Hamline University, explained to Al Jazeera that Article I of the U.S. Constitution grants the power to declare war to Congress, while Article II gives the President authority as commander-in-chief to respond to threats.
“I would argue that if we look at U.S. History, most conflicts aren’t formally declared wars, but presidents have dragged us into them,” Schultz explained.
Paul Quirk, a professor at the University of British Columbia, added that the status of the action depends on its duration. If it continues for an extended period, the action would be classified as a war.
“Americans will call it an attack if it’s short. But if it goes on for weeks or months, then it becomes a war in practice,” Quirk said.
The U.S. Government has asserted that the strikes aim to destroy Iran’s nuclear program. Trump publicly stated the goal of the strikes is to eliminate Iran’s nuclear program once and for all. He also called on the Iranian people to “grab back your government” and “seize control of your destiny.”
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio claimed the strikes were preemptive to protect U.S. Forces from planned Iranian retaliation for Israeli actions.
“We knew there was going to be an Israeli action… and we knew if we didn’t preemptively go after them before they launched that strike, we were going to take higher casualties,” Rubio said.
But, military observers are warning of significant risks should the U.S. Proceed with a ground invasion. Christopher Preble, an analyst at the Stimson Center, emphasized that Iran is far larger than Iraq.
“The difference, if you compare Iran to Iraq in 2003, is that Iran is a country that is three to four times larger. That would make the U.S. Mission in Iraq look simple by comparison. And of course, the Iraq mission wasn’t simple,” Preble stated.
The recent U.S. Strikes against Iran mark a significant escalation in a long-simmering conflict, raising concerns about wider regional instability. The situation is unfolding rapidly, with the potential for further retaliation and a broadening of the conflict zone.
