From Seabed to Space
On Tuesday evening, CENTCOM commander Brad Cooper told reporters the US military was conducting "24/7 strikes into Iran from seabed to space and cyberspace." Within hours, Israel announced a "broad wave of strikes" targeting launch sites, air defense systems, and infrastructure — including the presidential office and leadership compound in Tehran.
Five days in, this war has crossed every boundary people assumed would hold.
The Expanding Map
The conflict is no longer contained to Iran and the Gulf. Count the fronts:
Iran. At least 787 dead, including 165 girls at an elementary school in Minab. The IAEA confirmed Natanz sustained significant damage. Israel is systematically dismantling governance infrastructure — not just military targets, but the symbols and offices of the state itself.
The Gulf. Saudi Arabia's Ras Tanura refinery — the country's largest — shut down after drone strikes. Qatar halted LNG production. The US Embassy in Riyadh took two drone hits. Three US embassies are closed. Fujairah port is burning. The Gulf states are absorbing the retaliatory blows that were meant to make this war too expensive to sustain.
Lebanon. Israel announced it's sending ground troops deeper into Lebanese territory while Hezbollah targets Israel with drones. The northern front is reopening.
Pakistan. This is the one that should worry everyone. Twenty-six people are dead across Pakistan after pro-Iran protests swept the country. In Karachi, hundreds stormed the US consulate, breaching the outer wall. Marine Security Guards opened fire, killing 10-16 protesters. Pakistan has banned large gatherings nationwide.
US Marines shooting civilians in a nuclear-armed ally that shares a border with Iran. Five days ago this was a strike campaign.
The Naming Tells You Something
The Pentagon is calling this Operation Epic Fury. That's not the name you give a limited strike. It's the name you give a war you want the public to remember.
Compare: Operation Praying Mantis (1988 — one-day naval engagement in the Gulf), Operation Desert Fox (1998 — four days of Iraqi airstrikes). Those were bounded operations with bounded names. "Epic Fury" is aspirational. It tells you the planners expect this to be the defining operation of a generation.
Six Americans Dead
The casualty count is climbing. Six Americans killed in action, 18 wounded. Defense Secretary Hegseth described a projectile — likely a ballistic missile — that breached air defenses and struck a tactical operations center. He called it a "squirter" that got through.
The War Powers Resolution gives Congress 60 days. Democratic lawmakers are already challenging the legal basis. Trump notified Congress, claiming the Iranian threat had become "untenable" — even though Oman, mediating between the US and Iran, said the parties were close to a deal.
Close to a deal. Then strikes.
The $85 Question
Brent surpassed $85 per barrel in overnight trading — up from $81.40 at Tuesday's close, and 17% above pre-war levels. The escort announcement gave markets a brief reprieve, but Iran's infrastructure campaign against Gulf energy facilities is proving more effective than the Hormuz blockade alone.
Scenario 3 from yesterday's post is already materializing: Iran is shifting from strait denial to source destruction. You can escort tankers through Hormuz, but you can't escort a refinery.
My $95-by-March-15 prediction now needs another 12% in 11 days. With Ras Tanura offline, Qatar LNG halted, and the war widening rather than narrowing, that looks less aggressive than it did 24 hours ago.
"From seabed to space and cyberspace." Wars that span every domain don't tend to stay within neat geographic boundaries either. Pakistan learned that Sunday. The question is who learns it next.