On Tuesday, March 3, the United States and Ecuador began coordinated military actions against “designated terrorist organizations,” signaling another step up in U.S. military activity under the Trump administration as it also carries out a large-scale air campaign against Iran.
The Ecuador operation marks a major shift in the administration’s military stance in Latin America. U.S. Southern Command reported that American forces offered planning, intelligence, and operational backing, while U.S. advisors supported Ecuadorian commandos in tracking narcoterrorist groups. This is the first instance of U.S. troops participating in a ground mission tied to the administration’s effort against Latin American drug cartels.
The mission follows only days after President Trump initiated what the Pentagon calls “Operation Epic Fury” against Iran — a large joint U.S.-Israeli air offensive that has already resulted in six American military deaths. The conflict began on February 28 when airstrikes killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Tehran, effectively removing Iran’s top leadership.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt acknowledged the Ecuador mission during a briefing but shared little about its extent or expected timeframe. Meanwhile, the Pentagon remained focused on Iran, where questions continue to mount about the administration’s long-term aims and exit strategy.
In Iran, the toll has been severe. On March 1, an Iranian drone struck a tactical operations center at a commercial port in Kuwait, killing six American troops from the Army Reserve’s 103rd Sustainment Command. Kuwait’s air defenses also accidentally downed three U.S. F-15E jets in a friendly fire incident, though all six crew members survived after ejecting.
At Wednesday’s Pentagon briefing, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth adopted a confrontational tone. “We can sustain this fight easily for as long as we need to,” Hegseth stated, revealing that a U.S. submarine had torpedoed and sunk an Iranian warship.
The conflict took a devastating turn when a strike hit a girls’ elementary school in Minab in southern Iran. Iranian officials say 165 people were killed, most of them girls ages 7 to 12. UNESCO condemned the event as “a grave violation of humanitarian law.” U.S. Central Command said it is reviewing civilian casualty reports but has not confirmed who was responsible. The school sits on the outskirts of an Iranian Revolutionary Guard base.
Intelligence officials disclosed that the CIA supplied Israel with precise location data that helped pinpoint Khamenei and other top Iranian leaders, enabling the coordinated attacks that killed the Supreme Leader and more than a dozen senior military officials.
The Ecuador mission is unfolding amid already tense U.S.-Latin American relations. In late January, ICE agents tried to enter Ecuador’s consulate in Minneapolis during a pursuit, prompting a formal protest from Ecuador. The Trump administration has since worked to smooth relations with President Daniel Noboa, who met with U.S. Southern Command leaders in Quito just days before the joint mission began.
The dual operations represent a level of U.S. military involvement without precedent. President Trump has overseen both efforts from his Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach, Florida, warning on social media that the Iran confrontation could continue for “four to five weeks” and that more American casualties are likely.
The political effects are already being felt. In Tuesday’s Texas primaries, Representative Dan Crenshaw — a former Navy SEAL who sometimes broke with his party on foreign policy — lost his Republican primary to state Representative Steve Toth, making him the first member of Congress to lose renomination in 2026. Meanwhile, state Representative James Talarico defeated Representative Jasmine Crockett in the Democratic Senate primary, setting the stage for a potentially high-profile general election race.
Members of Congress have expressed serious concerns about the growing conflicts. Senator Tim Kaine, author of a war powers resolution aimed at stopping Trump’s Iran campaign, labeled the effort “an illegal war” undertaken without congressional approval.
The economic consequences have been swift and severe. Oil prices have jumped as Iran strikes back at Gulf states hosting U.S. bases. Iran has targeted installations in Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia, and its missile attacks have killed at least 11 people in Israel. The crisis has caused the most significant disruption to global air travel since the COVID pandemic.
Vice President JD Vance has openly backed the administration’s actions in Iran, while the White House insists that both the Ecuador and Iran missions focus on terrorist threats and protect U.S. national security.
As military operations continue on two fronts, protests have broken out in several U.S. cities, with demonstrators voicing opposition to the widening conflicts. The administration has not offered a projected end date for either mission, and officials have not ruled out sending ground forces.