The U.S. and Israeli code names for the campaign in Iran — Epic Fury and Roaring Lion — constitute the first truly combined military operations waged by both countries.
Their overlapping target lists reflect different national priorities, although the Pentagon and the Kirya, the Israel Defense Forces’ nerve center, share a general goal.
Israel’s primary focus is on the decapitation of the ruling regime, while the U.S. air and missile strikes are aimed at eliminating Tehran’s ability to acquire a nuclear weapon and the destruction of Iran’s navy.
The U.S. and Israel are swapping liaison officers to make sure they aren’t getting in each other’s way.
“There are U.S. Central Command teammates out in Israel, and there are Israeli Defense Forces teammates at the relevant command and control nodes with the U.S.,” Air Force Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Wednesday at the Pentagon.
Navy Adm. Brad Cooper, head of U.S. Central Command, routinely speaks with Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, the IDF chief of staff.
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Gen. Caine has also spoken with the most senior IDF leaders several times since the start of the conflict with Iran.
“That allows us to coordinate, integrate and synchronize activities while maintaining separate” objectives, Gen. Caine said.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said working with Israel in such a close fashion was “a breath of fresh air.”
“Usually, it’s us with some ancillary benefits from allies who are maybe willing, but not as capable. Now we have the will and the capability of an ally that can really bring things to bear,” Mr. Hegseth said. “We take certain targets, they take certain targets, and we coordinate it. It has incredible effects.”
Despite the best deconfliction efforts, there have been examples of friendly fire during Operations Epic Fury and Roaring Lion — most notably Sunday’s shootdown of three U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagles over Kuwaiti airspace. It happened during a massive retaliatory barrage of Iranian missiles and drones.
“We’ve got to remember that these operations are complex, dangerous and far from over,” Mr. Hegseth said. “Our soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, guardians and Coast Guardsmen remain in harm’s way.”
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