Operation Epic Fury
From Straight to The Point With Catherine Herridge by L.A. Times Studios, Catherine Herridge
April 17, 2026 · 23 min · Episode 23
About this episode
Retired General Joe Votel provides an in-depth analysis of Operation Epic Fury and the ongoing conflict with Iran.
BREAKING: Retired CENTCOM Commander Gives Exclusive In-Depth Analysis of Operation Epic Fury; Warns That Iran’s Fight is "Existential" And U.S. Should Not Underestimate Their Ability to Continue Enduring The Fight This week on Straight to the Point, on the eve of the ceasefire, I sat down with retired 4-Star General Joe Votel for an exclusive interview to discuss Operation Epic Fury. Gen. Votel gives expert insight into how long Iran can sustain the fight, what it would take to open the Strait of Hormuz by force, control Kharg Island, options for securing Iran’s enriched uranium, the planning behind last weekend’s successful rescue operation inside Iran, and the atmosphere in the Situation Room during high-risk missions. Straight to the Point: Operation Epic Fury 00:30 US Had Iran Attack Plan On The Shelf - Deliberate Execution of Campaign Plan 01:25 Military End State 02:00 This is Existential: Iran Has “Very Great” Ability to Absorb Pain 03:03 Remaining Military Objectives 03:30 Opening Strait of Hormuz By Force 06:10 What It Would Take For US To Control Kharg Island 07:20 Is Deployment of Ground Forces Likely Or Inevitable? 08:25 Does the US Military Have Capabilities To Seize…
People in this episode
Host: Catherine Herridge
Guest: Joe Votel
Topics covered
- military strategy
- Iran conflict
- U.S. foreign policy
- rescue operations
- geopolitical analysis
Keywords
- Operation Epic Fury
- Iran
- U.S. military
- Joe Votel
- rescue mission
- Strait of Hormuz
- Kharg Island
- President Trump
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: CENTCOM
Places: Iran, Strait of Hormuz, Kharg Island
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