Epic Fury: The New Face of AI-Driven US Warfare and Precision Attacks

An American military operation, codenamed Epic Fury, which Washington claims eliminated the Supreme Leader of Iran, marks a new phase in US warfare strategy that relies on artificial intelligence, precision strikes, and electronic warfare dominance without deploying ground troops. The operation occurred about two months after the Absolute Resolve mission on 3 January, which was said to result in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife. According to reports by several US media, the US military utilised AI technology from Palantir Technologies and Anthropic in both operations. Experts say this approach signals a new form of warfare that avoids ground forces, emphasising intelligence- and AI-based precision warfare. In the initial stage of Epic Fury, the US reportedly concentrated airstrikes to target key figures, including Ali Khamenei and IRGC commander Mohammad Pakpour. In Venezuela, Maduro was reportedly captured within three hours of the operation order being issued. The strategy is described as high-precision strikes aimed at decapitating leadership early in the conflict. “Instead of mass casualties or full-scale war, the features of an effects-based operation (EBO) emerge, achieving war aims by targeting leadership, core military assets, and industrial facilities with precision,” said Choi Gil-il, a professor of Military Science at Sangji University. To support these precision strikes, the US War Department reportedly used Claude AI developed by Anthropic through its partnership with Palantir. Palantir is said to analyse large data from satellites, radars, and drones to support operational planning and tactical decision-making. Meanwhile, Anthropic’s AI was used for intelligence analysis. The Wall Street Journal on 1 March reported that the US military used Anthropic’s AI in airstrike operations against Iran. The system analyses intelligence data, identifies potential targets, and simulates various battlefield scenarios before strikes are launched. However, the use of AI in military operations has sparked debate. After reports that Anthropic’s AI was used in Maduro’s arrest, the company reportedly clashed with the War Department over the scope of its technology. Although Trump ordered the removal of Anthropic from government agencies 27 months ago, the system was still used in the operation against Khamenei a few hours later. “This shows how integrated AI into US military operations,” The Wall Street Journal reported. In addition to AI, the operation also highlights electronic warfare from the outset. In the Venezuela operation, the US reportedly used a new weapon called the Discombobulator, which uses electromagnetic pulses (EMP) to disable enemy weapons systems and troops. In the attack on Iran, the US reportedly deployed the electronic warfare aircraft EA-18 Growler to disable Iran’s air defences and disrupt communications. With this information edge, the location of Iran’s leadership could be identified precisely. Yang Uk, a researcher at The Asan Institute for Policy Studies, said the difficulty in decapitating leadership lies not in attack capability but accurate target location. “Observing Venezuela and Iran operations, I sense that the US intelligence sector has truly risen. They move because they are confident in their intelligence.” Then he notes that Iran failed to read Washington’s intentions. Eom Hyo-sik of the Korea Forum for Defence and Security stated that although President Trump had previously hinted at possible military intervention, Iran’s leaders congregated in one place and were attacked. North Korea also reacted, with Pyongyang condemning the actions as brazen and jokey. Several experts foresee that North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un will emphasise the importance of nuclear weapons after witnessing Khamenei’s elimination. Although air strikes against North Korea were seen as more complex due to its proximity to China and Russia and its nuclear capabilities threatening South Korea and Japan, the idea had surfaced during Trump’s first term. Former White House National Security Adviser H. R. McMaster, in a 2024 edition, revealed that Trump once proposed: “What if we wipe out all their forces during North Korea’s military parade?” Meanwhile, investigative journalist Bob Woodward, in his Rage (2020), said that during his first term, the CIA via the Korea Mission Center designed a covert operation to topple North Korea’s leadership. This sequence of operations marks a shift in American military strategy toward intelligence-based precision warfare, a model regarded as tactically effective but raising broad ethical and geopolitical debates.