The combat operation launched in February in opposition to Iran has ended, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated definitively Tuesday, suggesting the American precedence now was reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
“The operation is over. Epic Fury, as the president notified Congress, we’re done with that stage of it,” Rubio stated throughout a White House briefing, including: “We achieved the objectives of that operation.”
“We’re now on to this Project Freedom,” he went on, referring to Trump’s initiative to information service provider vessels by means of the strait. He added later: “That’s what we’re undergoing now. What they may lead to in the future is speculative.”
The White House notified Congress final week that hostilities in opposition to Iran had been “terminated” as it reached a 60-day threshold that may require formal authorization from lawmakers.
Trump, nonetheless, has not dominated out resuming a bombing marketing campaign if negotiations collapse or Iran breaks the present ceasefire.
Questions about Iran’s nuclear program — together with its stockpile of extremely enriched uranium — will likely be resolved by means of talks, Rubio stated.
“As far as a negotiation is concerned, I think the president’s been clear that part of the negotiation process has to be not just the enrichment, but what happens to this material that’s very deep somewhere,” he stated.
“I don’t want to endanger the negotiations, but suffice it to say that the president and this entire team is aware of the centrality of that question, and that will have to be addressed one way or here,” he stated.