Conflict with Iran has come to an end, according to US Secretary Rubio

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio reaffirmed on Wednesday that the war with Iran had come to an end, despite the ongoing deadly strikes, and emphasized that the US had achieved victory in Operation Epic Fury. Rubio's statement came as he addressed the House Foreign Affairs Committee, where he declared that sustained strikes inside Iran were no longer being conducted to degrade the country's military.

n

The US-Israeli war, dubbed Operation Epic Fury, has been raging across the Middle East since the initial strikes on Iran on February 28, with Iran retaliating by targeting US allies in the region and blocking the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial shipping channel for Gulf oil and gas.

n

Rubio defined the US's victory as the destruction of Iran's defense industrial base, a significant reduction in the number of missile launchers, and a decrease in their drone stockpile, all of which he claimed had been achieved, in addition to destroying Iran's air force and conventional navy.

n

However, Democrats strongly disputed Rubio's claim, pointing out that the conflict was still ongoing, as evidenced by Iran's strike on Kuwait's airport on Wednesday, which killed one person and injured 63, marking a major escalation of the conflict.

n

Bahrain, which hosts a significant US military presence, similar to Kuwait, also experienced overnight drone strikes from Iran, further underscoring the ongoing nature of the conflict.

n

Representative Sara Jacobs of California challenged Rubio's assertion, stating that changing the operation's name did not alter the fact that the Strait of Hormuz remained closed and US service members were still at risk.

n

Rubio provided lawmakers with an update on negotiations with Iran, revealing that the Islamic republic's highly enriched uranium stockpiles were a central focus of discussions, but Tehran had yet to agree to a peace deal.

n

Washington's conditions for a peace agreement include Iran's surrender of its near-weapons-grade enriched uranium, a commitment to curb its nuclear activities, and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.

n

Rubio informed the House committee that while some progress had been made in the negotiations, with certain issues clearly addressed in exchanged papers, a final agreement had not been reached as of that morning.

n

Iran has insisted that it needs the release of $12 billion in frozen assets before engaging in substantive talks on its nuclear program, and has dismissed earlier comments by US President Donald Trump suggesting that its enriched uranium stockpile would eventually be destroyed.