Share and Follow
In brief
- US secretary of state Marco Rubio declares Operation Epic Fury over.
- Iran struck Kuwait’s airport on Wednesday, killing one and injuring 63.
On Wednesday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio reaffirmed his stance that the conflict with Iran has concluded, despite ongoing deadly strikes in the region.
Addressing the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Rubio stated, “We’re no longer conducting sustained strikes inside of Iran to degrade their military, because Epic Fury is over,” asserting that the United States had achieved its objectives.
The conflict, known as Operation Epic Fury by the U.S., has caused widespread turmoil throughout the Middle East since the first attacks on Iran were launched on February 28.
In retaliation, Iran has targeted U.S. allies in the area and obstructed the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial channel for the transportation of Gulf oil and gas.
Rubio further clarified the U.S. definition of victory, explaining, “We define victory as destroying their defense industrial base, significantly reducing the number of missile launchers that they possess, significantly reducing their stockpile of drones.”
Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.
“And we achieved all those, in addition to destroying what they had left of an air force and wiping out their entire conventional navy.”
Rubio faced strong pushback from Democrats, who argued the conflict is still raging, with Iran striking Kuwait’s airport on Wednesday, killing one person and wounding 63 in a major escalation of the conflict.
Bahrain, which like Kuwait hosts a significant US military presence, also saw overnight drone strikes from Iran.
“You can change the name of the operation. It doesn’t change the fact that the Strait’s still closed, and my service members, and all of our service members, are still in harm’s way,” representative Sara Jacobs of California told Rubio.
Rubio updated legislators on negotiations with Iran, saying the Islamic republic’s highly enriched uranium stockpiles were at the centre of discussions and that Iran has not yet agreed to a peace deal.
The US insists Iran must turn over its near-weapons-grade enriched uranium, agree to curb its nuclear activities and re-open the Strait of Hormuz for any peace agreement to take hold.
“I think now, in some of the papers that have been exchanged back and forth, it’s clearly addressed, but we … still don’t have final sign off from their system as of this morning,” Rubio told the House committee.
Iran has said it needs the release of U$12 billion ($16.8 billion) in frozen assets before engaging in substantive talks on its nuclear program, and dismissed earlier comments by US President Donald Trump who suggested that its stockpile of enriched uranium would ultimately be destroyed.
For the latest from SBS News, download our app and subscribe to our newsletter.