US Bunker Buster Strike Isfahan Iran Ammo Depot 2026 Epic Fury

Published: March 31, 2026. The English Chronicle Desk.

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In one of the most significant kinetic actions of Operation Epic Fury to date, the United States military launched a massive precision strike on a hardened ammunition depot in the Iranian city of Isfahan late Monday night. According to Pentagon sources and reports from The Wall Street Journal, U.S. forces deployed dozens of 2,000-pound “bunker-buster” penetrator munitions to neutralize the facility, which was believed to be a central distribution hub for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ (IRGC) ballistic missile and drone programs. The strike triggered a spectacular chain of secondary explosions that lit up the Isfahan skyline for hours, with President Donald Trump later sharing uncaptioned footage of the inferno on Truth Social.

The choice of munitions—specifically designed to burrow deep into reinforced concrete before detonating—underscores the transition of the war into a “deep-burial defeat” phase. While earlier weeks focused on surface-level air defenses and naval assets, the current objective is the “systematic dismantling” of Iran’s underground military-industrial base. “We are no longer just clipping the wings of the IRGC,” a senior U.S. defense official told The English Chronicle. “We are going after the heart of their war-sustaining capacity. If it’s buried, we will find it; if it’s reinforced, we will break it.“

The ‘Beyond Halfway’ Assessment

The strike in Isfahan comes as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that the joint coalition is now “beyond the halfway point” in its mission to degrade Iran’s strategic capabilities. Speaking to Newsmax on Monday, Netanyahu clarified that while he would not set a rigid calendar for the war’s conclusion, the “missions” required to achieve a decisive victory are more than 50% complete. He highlighted the destruction of thousands of IRGC personnel and the near-total neutralization of Iran’s domestic arms industry as key milestones. However, the Prime Minister’s optimism remains tempered by the $116 oil price and the persistent threat to Gulf desalination plants, which continue to strain the coalition’s regional allies.

Secondary Hazards and Civilian Risk

The intensity of the Isfahan explosions has raised urgent questions regarding “collateral environmental damage.” Local reports indicate that the blast radius at the ammo depot was significantly larger than anticipated due to the high volume of stored solid-fuel rocket propellant. While the Pentagon maintains that the target was a “discrete military facility,” the resulting shockwaves caused structural damage to nearby civilian districts, fueling a fresh wave of international calls for a “humanitarian pause.“

U.S. Strike Count: Over 10,000 targets hit since February 28.
Israeli Strike Count: Over 3,000 targets hit across Iran and proxy territories.
Total Casualties: While official figures are suppressed by Tehran, NGOs estimate thousands of combatant and “non-trivial” civilian casualties.

As the conflict enters its second month, the “42-day” timeline originally suggested by the White House is under severe pressure. With Secretary of State Marco Rubio noting that the war may still last “weeks” rather than months, the Isfahan strike serves as a loud signal that the U.S. is doubling down on high-yield, high-risk munitions to force a conclusion. For the residents of central Iran, the “beyond halfway” mark brings no relief—only the sound of deeper, more powerful bombs reaching for the bunkers below.

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