Rubio Claims “Operation Epic Fury” is over

WASHINGTON — The U.S. military campaign that launched the war with Iran, Operation Epic Fury, “is over,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Tuesday, telling reporters that a new defensive phase had begun to secure the Strait of Hormuz.

The declaration of an end to offensive operations comes as President Trump continues to threaten a new round of strikes against the Islamic Republic, which persists in disrupting commercial shipping traffic through the vital waterway.

But Rubio, who is also the national security advisor, suggested the Trump administration is reluctant to return to full-scale war.