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<\/p>\nWASHINGTON\u00a0\u2014\u00a0The U.S. military campaign that launched the war with Iran, Operation Epic Fury, \u201cis over,\u201d Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Tuesday, telling reporters that a new defensive phase had begun to secure the Strait of Hormuz \u2014 though President Trump later said he was pausing the effort to allow more time for a deal with Iran.<\/p>\n
The declaration of an end to offensive operations comes as 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. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe operation, Epic Fury, is concluded. We achieved the objectives of that operation,\u201d Rubio said at a news briefing at the White House.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is the first step toward reopening the strait,\u201d he added. \u201cWe are doing it not only because we were asked, but because we are the only ones that can.\u201d<\/p>\n
Trump said Tuesday night on Truth Social that Project Freedom \u2014 the new defensive operation \u2014 would be paused for a \u201cshort period of time\u201d at the request of Pakistan and other countries \u201cto see whether or not\u201d a final agreement can be reached with Iran.<\/p>\n
The shift came within hours of top administration officials touting the new initiative as a needed step to ensure the flow of traffic could resume through the international waterway as hostilities have continued in the region.<\/p>\n
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had told reporters at a news conference at the Pentagon earlier on Tuesday that new defensive operation was in response to what he called \u201cinternational extortion\u201d by Iran.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are not looking for a fight, but Iran cannot be allowed to block innocent countries and their goods from an international waterway,\u201d Hegseth said.<\/p>\n
The operation was launched nearly a month after the United States reached a fragile ceasefire with Iran, a truce that Hegseth said remains in effect even though Tehran has continued to attack U.S. forces and commercial vessels.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe ceasefire is not over,\u201d Hegseth said.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth takes questions during a media briefing at the Pentagon on Tuesday in Arlington, Va. <\/p>\n
(Chip Somodevilla \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n
Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said that since the ceasefire took effect, Iran has fired at commercial vessels nine times, seized two container ships and attacked U.S. forces more than 10 times. All of these instances, he said, are \u201cbelow the threshold of restarting major combat operations at this point.\u201d<\/p>\n
Those attacks have left more than 1,550 vessels trapped in the Persian Gulf and unable to transit, disrupting global trade and pushing energy markets toward crisis, with fuel prices climbing and shipping costs surging.<\/p>\n
Later on Tuesday, President Trump was asked what Iran needed to do for him to deem Iran in violation of the ceasefire agreement. He said the public will \u201cfind out because I\u2019ll let you know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThey know what to do. They know what not to do, more importantly actually,\u201d Trump said during an appearance in the Oval Office.<\/p>\n
Trump, however, acknowledged that Iran has continued to fire at ships from \u201clittle boats,\u201d which he described as fast but not as \u201cfast as a missile.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThey are looking around for little boats to try and compete with our great Navy,\u201d Trump said as he dismissed the hostilities. <\/p>\n