WASHINGTON D.C. – The United States has officially declared the conclusion of "Operation Epic Fury," a 66-day bombing campaign against Iran, as announced by Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The declaration came amidst continued volatility in the region, with President Donald Trump subsequently pausing a follow-on naval mission, "Project Freedom," aimed at securing the Strait of Hormuz.
'Epic Fury' Concludes, 'Project Freedom' on Hold
Speaking to reporters in the White House briefing room, Secretary Rubio stated, "The operation is over. Epic Fury, as the president notified Congress, we're done with that stage of it. We're now on to this Project Freedom." He later added, "Operation Epic Fury is concluded. We achieved the objectives of that operation."
However, the new "Project Freedom" mission, designed to guide stranded commercial vessels through the critical Strait of Hormuz, lasted less than a day before President Trump put it on hold. In a social media post, Trump indicated the mission would be paused "for a short period of time to see whether or not the Agreement can be finalised and signed," citing requests from Pakistan and other nations. Despite this, he confirmed that the US naval blockade of Iranian ports would "remain in full force and effect."
Ongoing Conflict and Economic Toll in Hormuz
The declarations of an end to operations did not immediately halt hostilities. A British monitoring organization reported a cargo ship strike in the Strait of Hormuz by an unknown projectile as Rubio spoke. Earlier, Iranian forces had opened fire on US warships, leading to the destruction of six Iranian small boats by US military response, according to US Central Command leader Admiral Brad Cooper.
The Strait of Hormuz remains a flashpoint with significant human and economic consequences. General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, reported that approximately 22,500 mariners on over 1,550 commercial vessels are currently "trapped" in the Arabian Gulf due to Iranian military restrictions. The strait is vital, carrying about one-fifth of the world's oil exports, contributing to volatile oil markets. Brent crude prices dropped 3.6% to under $111 a barrel on Tuesday, following a nearly 6% jump on Monday. The UAE also reported intercepting roughly 20 projectiles fired from Iran the previous day.
Iran Rejects Negotiation Demands
Amid these developments, Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian dismissed American demands for a resumption of negotiations. In a call with Iraq's prime minister-designate Ali al-Zaidi, Pezeshkian stated, "The problem is that while the US pursues a policy of maximum pressure against our country, it also expects the Islamic Republic of Iran to come to the negotiating table and ultimately submit to its unilateral demands, an equation that is impossible." Meanwhile, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf asserted that the US-led mission and naval blockade in the strait constituted violations of the existing ceasefire agreement.