With Operation Epic Fury in its sixth day, it is hard to tell how long the current United States military campaign against Iran will last. It may not be swift; yesterday, the US Senate rejected a resolution to halt further action. Meanwhile, President Trump has been alarmingly indifferent to the question:

Whatever the time is, it’s OK, whatever it takes. Right from the beginning we projected four to five weeks, but we have the capability to go far longer than that. We’ll do it.

Whatever the time is, it’s OK, whatever it takes. Right from the beginning we projected four to five weeks, but we have the capability to go far longer than that. We’ll do it.

US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth struck a different note with reporters: ‘This is not Iraq, this is not endless.’ Yet he has refused to rule out deploying ground forces to Iran and later said, ‘We have only just begun to fight.’ In fairness, it must be hard to draw up a timetable for success when you are not wholly clear why you started a conflict to begin with.

The challenge is maintaining adequate stockpiles

The challenge is maintaining adequate stockpiles

The opening phase of the conflict has demonstrated the staggering military superiority the United States and Israel enjoy over Iran. It is not just a technological advantage but a logistical one: careful thinking about airbases and ready availability of air-to-air refuelling meant that 400 US and Israeli aircraft were able to carry out 1,500 sorties within the first 12 hours of the operation:........

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