Operation Epic Fury vs. The Powell Doctrine (E131)

Operation Epic Fury vs. The Powell Doctrine (E131)

From The Ancient Art of Modern Warfare by Chris Mayer National Security and Strategy Consultant

March 20, 2026 · 14 min · Episode 132

About this episode

Chris Mayer discusses the differences between the expected and actual conduct of Operation Epic Fury, analyzing it through the lens of the Weinberger-Powell model.

In podcast episode 128, posted just before Operation Epic Fury began, I outlined how I think that an attack on Iran could be just, necessary, and what I perceived as a path to achieve the goals expressed by the U.S. Government in the weeks leading to the start of the war. I did not expect this to be a blueprint for what would actually happen. What I really did not expect was for the conduct of the war to be completely different that that. So different that more than the usual naysayers are questioning whether this war is just at all, or winnable. In this episode I go beyond the Just War Theory I used in my previous analysis, using the Weinberger-Powell model for the use of military force. This model is credited with successful use of American military force in the last decade and a half of the 20th century. Although it is not, and was never intended as a recipe for success, abandoning its thought process seems to have been a formula for failure. As usual, the opinions in these podcasts are my own and do not necessarily represent the opinion of the Department of Defense, anyone else in the U.S. Government, or any other organization I am or ever have been associated with. The…

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Host: Chris Mayer

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Organizations: Department of Defense, U.S. Government

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