Rubio declares combat operations are over, takes aim at Iranian leaders
Washington: Secretary of State Marco Rubio declared that American combat operations in Iran are “over” as he vowed that US forces are now focused on reopening the critical Strait of Hormuz as “a favor to the world.”
Meanwhile, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth suggested that the US mission to provide protection to ships using the strait would only be short-lived and other countries would have to take over the task “soon”.
Rubio said that since the US and Israel launched an attack on Iran nine weeks ago, 10 civilian sailors have died due to their ships being stranded in the Persian Gulf, and the Iranian regime has retaliated by attacking passing ships with unmanned aerial vehicles and threatening to lay mines.
Rubio said the crew on the ship faced shortages of food and drinking water and were at the mercy of Iran’s “piracy.” “These are innocent bystanders [who are] He is caught in the middle and held hostage.”
At least two ships, both US-flagged, safely exited the strait under the guidance of the US Navy. But shipping companies and insurers remain uneasy about sending their ships through the waterway, especially given a flare-up that included the shooting of a South Korean ship on Monday.
Rubio acknowledged that other countries have “really suffered greatly” from the rise in oil prices due to the de facto closure of the strait, and said the United States was trying to reopen the strait as a favor to the rest of the world.
Australia is one such country. With supply dwindling, the Albanian government was forced to find fuel elsewhere through agreements with countries such as Singapore.
Rubio also made a more definitive statement about the state of the war, declaring Operation Epic Fury “over.” He noted that President Donald Trump told Congress that combat operations in Iran were “terminated” due to the ceasefire that began on April 7.
“Operation Epic Fury has been completed. We achieved the objectives of that operation,” he said. “We have finished that phase. Now we are moving on to this freedom project.”
Both Trump and Rubio left the door open to taking further military action against Iran, but Rubio said the administration was not happy about that outcome.
Rubio said Trump’s preference is still to negotiate a peace deal that would restrict Iran’s nuclear ambitions and deal with the hundreds of kilograms of highly enriched uranium still believed to be buried under debris in the country.
But he was outspoken about the shortcomings of Iranian leaders, quoting a hit song by hip-hop group Cypress Hill.
“It is time for Iran to make a rational choice. It is not easy for them to do this because there are cracks in their leadership system,” Rubio said. “The top people in this government, to say the least, their minds are crazy.”
He then capitalized on rapper Ice Cube’s 1992 hit. Check YourselfHe said Iran was facing economic disaster due in part to a US naval blockade and “they need to control themselves before they destroy themselves.”
Speaking to reporters from the White House in place of Trump’s spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt, who was on maternity leave, Rubio said that the United States was the only military force that could undertake the Freedom Project, the name he gave to the initiative to reopen the strait. He did not give any indication about the end date of the mission.
However, at an earlier press conference, Hegseth emphasized that the mission was temporary and that the US would withdraw from the strait “soon”.
“The world needs this waterway much more than we do,” Hegseth said. “We are stabilizing the situation so that trade can flow again, but we are waiting for the world to step up. We will return responsibility to you at the appropriate time and in the near future.”
Hegseth and Dan Caine, the country’s chief of staff and chief of staff, did not accuse Iran of violating the ceasefire by firing a limited number of missiles and drones at the United Arab Emirates on Monday, the first day of Project Freedom.
The UAE Ministry of Defense said on Tuesday (Dubai time) that the country is still facing missiles and drones of Iranian origin intercepted by its air defense systems. He did not provide further details.
It was reported that an oil terminal belonging to Australian IFM Investors was hit in the attacks carried out in the port city of Fujairah on Monday. Operator VTTI declined to comment and referred questions to port authorities.
Michael Koziol is the North America correspondent for The Age and the Sydney Morning Herald. He is a former Sydney editor, Sun-Herald deputy editor and a federal political correspondent in Canberra.Connect with: X or email.
