What 1967 operation targeted the Iron Triangle area near Saigon?

The 1967 operation that targeted the Iron Triangle area near Saigon was Operation Cedar Falls.

Conducted from January 8 to 26, 1967, Cedar Falls was a massive search-and-destroy operation in Bình Dương Province, northwest of Saigon. The Iron Triangle was a strategically important Viet Cong base area containing tunnels, supply routes and political infrastructure. US commanders hoped that clearing it would weaken Communist operations near the capital and force enemy units into a decisive battle.

About 30,000 US and South Vietnamese troops participated, including elements of the 1st and 25th Infantry Divisions, the 173rd Airborne Brigade and the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment. The campaign featured helicopter-borne assaults, armored sweeps and the destruction of tunnel complexes. Soldiers who entered the tunnels became known as “tunnel rats,” a role that demanded exceptional nerve in cramped, dangerous conditions.

Cedar Falls is often confused with Operation Junction City, which followed in February and swept the larger War Zone C. Although commanders claimed success, historians note that Viet Cong forces largely evaded destruction and returned after the operation.