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Just Security ·Behind the news

Strategic Attack on Iran: Airpower’s Promises, Limits, and Lessons

by Michael Schmitt

Published 2026-08-05 13:14:58+00:00

What happens when a military destroys everything it aims at, but the war just keeps going?

0:00 / 32:02 · Narrator Charon

Context

The United States has bombed Iranian targets with near impunity for months, yet the Strait of Hormuz remains closed and Tehran has not backed down. Published in Just Security on 5 August 2026, the piece asks a surprisingly basic question about Operation Epic Fury: why doesn't total dominance in the sky actually win a war? Instead of focusing on political rhetoric, the essay turns to military doctrine itself, explaining why the physical ability to destroy a target rarely translates into the political leverage needed to end a conflict.

Show notes

An assessment of the U.S. air campaign against Iran during Operation Epic Fury, measured against official military doctrine on strategic attack. The analysis outlines the advantages of airpower, such as bypassing ground forces to strike targets directly, alongside its limits, like the inability to hold territory or force a political outcome. It examines why five months of air supremacy have produced widespread destruction but failed to achieve strategic goals like reopening the Strait of Hormuz.

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