By Manlio Dinucci
Global Research
March 20, 2026
"Operation Epic Fury", launched by the United States against Iran, is significantly increasing the risk of nuclear war. Israel is finding that the missile defence systems provided by the United States are not as reliable as claimed. There is a growing likelihood that Israel, the only country in the Middle East with nuclear weapons, might use a nuclear weapon against Iran. The Israeli press is now openly discussing the "Samson Option."
"Operation Epic Fury," launched by the United States against Iran, began on February 28 with the killing of 175 girls and teachers when a missile struck an elementary school in Tehran.
When asked by a New York Times reporter whether the United States had struck the school, President Trump replied:
"No. In my opinion, and based on what I've seen, it was done by Iran."
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth added:
"The only party targeting civilians is Iran."
A body of evidence gathered by The New York Times-including satellite imagery and other verified videos-shows that the Iranian elementary school was struck by a U.S. Tomahawk missile. A piece of debris from the missile that struck the school bears the inscription "Made in USA" and the name "Globe Motors," a manufacturer based in Ohio.
The Pentagon has reported that, during the first seven days of Operation Epic Fury, over 3,000 targets in Iran were struck with thousands of bombs and missiles. The forces deployed include strategic bombers and fighter-bombers, electronic warfare aircraft, reconnaissance and attack drones, aircraft carriers, and missile-launching units, as well as other weapons that the Pentagon says it cannot list because they are classified. Trump has announced the possible deployment of US troops to Iran to "secure the country's stockpiles of enriched uranium". He told reporters: "Send troops to Iran ? We haven't done that yet, but it's something we could do. If we did, the Iranians would be so decimated that they wouldn't be able to fight back. At some point, maybe we'll do it. It would be fantastic." Trump declares in no uncertain terms that he, as President of the United States of America, should choose who governs Iran.
The economic cost of war is enormous. The Pentagon has reported that the first six days of Operation Epic Fury cost the United States more than $11 billion. Just consider that a single one of the thousands of satellite-guided glide bombs used in the bombing of Iran costs, when converted to euros, the equivalent of 25 average annual gross salaries in Italy.
The growth in U.S. military spending-which Trump intends to increase from $1 trillion to $1.5 trillion annually-is driving the growth of military spending among European NATO countries: Italy's spending, which already exceeds the average of 120 million euros per day, must soon rise to over 300 million euros per day in accordance with NATO commitments. Added to this is the war-driven rise in oil prices, which have surpassed $100 per barrel, leading to a rise in the cost of living. These and other factors are triggering a global economic crisis.
At the same time, Operation Epic Fury is significantly increasing the risk of nuclear war. Israel-to which the United States is supplying an additional 12,000 1,000-pound bombs for use against Iran and Lebanon-is discovering that the missile defense systems provided by the United States are not as infallible as had been claimed. Several Iranian missiles are managing to bypass them, striking cities and other targets in Israel. The impact is profound, not so much in terms of damage and casualties, but in terms of the psychological effect on the population.
At this point, the possibility is growing that Israel, the only country in the Middle East possessing nuclear weapons, might use a nuclear weapon against Iran. There is now open talk in the Israeli press of the "Samson Option." This is how it is described by The Times of Israel:
"The Samson Option is a doctrine governed by the logic of survival: when all other deterrents have failed and the very existence of the Jewish state is at stake. For now, the conditions for its activation do not exist. But the situation is changing. An unexpected escalation or an attack resulting in a large number of casualties could change the calculations overnight. The Samson Option involves the use of nuclear force as Israel's ultimate defensive measure. But unlike the biblical Samson, who died alongside his enemies, Israel-though perhaps diplomatically condemned-would remain alive, intact, and still capable of defending its right to exist."
This article was originally published in Italian on Grandangolo, Byoblu TV. Reprinted from Global Research.
Manlio Dinucci, award-winning author, geopolitical analyst and geographer, Pisa, Italy. He is a Research Associate of the Centre for Research on Globalization (CRG).