The Pentagon, State Department, and USAID’s inspectors general will begin a comprehensive review of Operation Epic Fury, the U.S. military’s war against Iran, as mandated by law.
Department of War Inspector General Platte Moring was appointed to serve as the lead inspector general for the agencies’ oversight of Operation Epic Fury on May 12, the War Department’s Inspector General’s office announced on Wednesday.
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He has since appointed Arne Baker, the acting State Department inspector general, to serve as the associate lead for the review, and they are working to develop a joint strategic oversight plan. The goal, according to the War Department’s inspector general announcement, is to produce the first quarterly report on the Iran war this fall.
“This Lead Inspector General designation not only follows the framework required in the IG Act, it also reflects the extensive experience of the DoW OIG with comprehensive oversight of overseas contingency operations,” Inspector General Moring said. “We are collaborating closely with our colleagues to promote accountability and responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars.”
This review is mandated by the Inspector General Act, which requires the appointment of a lead inspector general when a military operation lasts longer than 60 days. It is unrelated to the 60-day War Powers Resolution, which requires Congress to either authorize military operations or force the president to begin shutting down U.S. participation in the war after 60 days from the time the president informs Congress of the hostilities.
Baker said, “Working alongside our colleagues across the oversight community, we will help safeguard the integrity of U.S. diplomatic, security, and foreign assistance efforts while promoting transparency and accountability to the American public. This coordinated approach strengthens our collective ability to provide timely, objective reporting to Congress and the Executive Branch.”
Last week, Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) called for the appointment of a lead inspector general to conduct a comprehensive review.
The U.S. military’s strikes on Iran began on Feb. 28 and continued until President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire on April 7, which he has continued to extend. In that time, the U.S. military carried out more than 13,000 strikes on targets within Iran, including at their air force, navy, defense industrial base, missile stockpiles and launchers, and more.
Iranian retaliatory attacks killed seven American service members, six of whom were killed in a drone attack on a U.S. base in Kuwait. Six other service members were killed in a refueling accident in Iraq, a Marine died in Saudi Arabia in a nonhostile incident, and a National Guardsman died from an unrelated medical emergency.
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Acting Pentagon Comptroller Jay Hurst, whom Trump recently nominated for the position, told lawmakers on Capitol Hill last month that the war had cost $29 billion so far. However, that total does not include the cost of possible repairs to U.S. bases in the region, which will be included in a future funding request.
“Part of it is we would assess what our posture should be in the Middle East, right?” Hurst told reporters in April. “We have to make sure we understand what we want to construct in the future. We might change how we build bases in the Middle East based on this conflict. It’ll be part of a future request.”
