The “Zero Hour” Protocol: Anatomy of a Hypothethical US-Israel Strike Plan

As the United States and Israel move to a “pre-hostility” footing, military analysts have begun to map out the likely sequence of a “significant war” with Iran. Based on the assets currently surging to the region—including F-22 Raptors, EA-18G Growlers, and multiple carrier strike groups—the operational plan described by observers closely mirrors a classic “Shock and Awe” doctrine designed to dismantle the Islamic Republic’s war machine in distinct, overlapping phases.
Phase I: Zero Hour – “Blind and Strike”
The opening salvo would likely be invisible before it becomes destructive. EA-18G Growlers would initiate a massive electronic warfare (EW) attack, blinding Iranian early-warning radars and jamming communication networks. Simultaneously, U.S. Virginia-class submarines and Arleigh Burke-class destroyers positioned in the Persian Gulf and Red Sea would unleash the first wave of Tomahawk cruise missiles.
* Target: Command and Control (C2) bunkers, EW sites, and fixed surface-to-air missile (SAM) batteries.
* Objective: To “kick down the door” and create safe corridors for manned aircraft.
Phase II: Air Dominance – “Own the Air Space”
Before the first cruise missiles impact, a multi-layered aerial strike package would already be airborne.
* The Tip of the Spear: F-22 Raptors would push deep into Iranian airspace to sanitize the skies of enemy interceptors and hunt down mobile S-300/S-400 systems.
* The Hammer: Following the Raptors, F-15E Strike Eagles and F-35C Lightning IIs (launched from the USS Abraham Lincoln and USS Gerald R. Ford) would deliver precision bunker-buster munitions to obliterate IRGC airbases, naval facilities, and ballistic missile storage sites.
Phase III: The Shield – “Absorb and Counter”
As the second salvo of cruise missiles inbound, the focus shifts to defense. The U.S. and its allies would face the inevitable retaliation: swarms of Iranian suicide drones and ballistic missiles.
* Defense: Patriot and THAAD batteries across the Gulf, aided by point-defense systems on naval vessels, would engage high-altitude threats.
* Counter-Swarm: Flights of F-35s, F/A-18 Super Hornets, and F-16s would act as a “goalkeeper” force, using air-to-air missiles and cannons to intercept low-flying drone waves before they reach their targets.
Phase IV: The Proxy War – “Neutralize the Ring of Fire”
Once the main Iranian threat is suppressed, the conflict widens. Israel would likely enter the fight openly at this stage, focusing its F-15I Ra’am, F-35I Adir, and F-16I Sufa fleets on neutralizing Iranian proxies in Lebanon, Syria, and Iraq. Meanwhile, U.S. A-10 Warthogs would hunt mobile launchers and militia units in the permissive environments of Iraq and Syria.
Phase V: The Grind – “Revolving Air War”
The final phase is a cycle of “execute, repeat.” With Iranian naval assets neutralized and their air force grounded, the war becomes a systematic dismantling of regime infrastructure. There would be no naval battles or dogfights—only a relentless, revolving door of airstrikes until an unconditional ceasefire is called and a new regional peace deal is signed.