GET IT TOGETHER

U.S. and Israel Can’t Even Agree on Name for New War

The two countries carried out joint airstrikes as President Trump vowed to “destroy” Iran’s missile industry.

The U.S. and Israel have launched a coordinated attack against Iran, but could not reach an agreement on what to call the operation. Shortly after the joint missile strike on Iran was announced, the U.S. Defense Department said that the attacks had been given the cringeworthy name of “Operation Epic Fury,” whereas the Israeli Defense Force had gone with “Lion’s Roar.” This is not the first time the two allied nations have had different ideas about what to call a joint attack on Iran. In June 2025, Israel dubbed its 12-day war with Iran as “Rising Lion,” while President Donald Trump’s airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities the same month were called “Operation Midnight Hammer.” Trump, who spent months pining and whining for a Nobel Peace Prize, announced that the U.S. had attacked a second country in as many months after previously targeting Venezuela and abducting its leader, Nicolás Maduro. In a less-than-reassuring video statement, the erratic president admitted that the “lives of courageous American heroes may be lost,” due to his decision to attack Iran. The attack follows months of pressure on Tehran to agree to a new deal on its nuclear program.