Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters on Tuesday that the offensive combat operation against Iran launched on February 28 has formally concluded, reframing all ongoing U.S. military activity in the region as purely defensive — even as the naval blockade continues and the Strait of Hormuz remains closed.
The declaration: “The operation is over”
Speaking at a White House press briefing on Tuesday, May 5, Secretary of State Marco Rubio formally declared that Operation Epic Fury — the U.S.-led military campaign against Iran that began on February 28 — has concluded. The announcement came one day after the most intense military exchange since the ceasefire took effect on April 8, in which U.S. forces destroyed seven Iranian fast boats in the Strait of Hormuz during the first day of Project Freedom.
“The operation is over — Operation Epic Fury — as the president notified Congress. We’re done with that stage of it. This is not an offensive operation. This is a defensive operation. What that means is very simple: there’s no shooting unless we’re shot at first.”
— Secretary of State Marco Rubio, White House Press Briefing, May 5, 2026
What “over” means — and what it doesn’t
Rubio was careful to draw a precise distinction between the end of offensive operations and the end of U.S. military activity in the region. The naval blockade of Iranian ports — in place since April 13 — remains fully operative. Project Freedom, the escort mission for stranded commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz launched on Sunday, is ongoing. U.S. warships are still actively engaged in the region, and Monday’s engagement with Iranian fast boats was explicitly framed by Rubio as a defensive response, not an offensive strike.
The legal significance of the declaration is considerable. By formally notifying Congress that the war has “terminated,” the White House avoided triggering the 60-day authorization requirement under the 1973 War Powers Act — a law Rubio publicly stated he disagrees with. The administration’s position is that any further U.S. military action in the region constitutes self-defense rather than an act of war, which carries different legal and congressional notification requirements.
What the U.S. says it achieved
Rubio argued that Operation Epic Fury achieved its stated objectives, which he described as the destruction of Iran’s “conventional shield” — its stockpile of short-range ballistic missiles, drones, and naval assets that, in Washington’s assessment, would have allowed Tehran to hold the region hostage once its nuclear program crossed a critical threshold. He said Iran is now facing “real, catastrophic destruction” to its economy and that Trump still prefers a negotiated outcome.
“Operation Epic Fury has concluded. We achieved the objectives of that operation. These guys are facing real, catastrophic destruction to their economy.”
— Secretary of State Marco Rubio, May 5, 2026
Pressed on whether the U.S. is any closer to eliminating Iran’s nuclear material — the stated long-term goal — Rubio acknowledged the objective has not been achieved, but argued the military campaign successfully dismantled the defensive infrastructure Iran was building to make its nuclear program untouchable. He framed the current phase as a transition to economic and diplomatic pressure rather than continued military operations.
Project Freedom: “a protective bubble” and first step toward reopening
Rubio described Project Freedom — the operation to escort stranded commercial vessels through the strait — as a “protective bubble” and characterized it as the first step toward fully reopening the Strait of Hormuz. He said the initiative is designed to demonstrate that Iran cannot maintain indefinite economic control over the waterway, and cited “crushing economic consequences and global diplomatic isolation” as the levers Washington intends to apply going forward.
The U.S. also announced a new UN Security Council draft resolution — co-sponsored with Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, and Qatar — demanding that Iran cease attacks on shipping, disclose the location of sea mines it has laid, and cooperate with efforts to remove them. A previous UNSC resolution on Hormuz was vetoed by China and Russia last month. Rubio called the new draft “a very modest request” and said whether the UN passes it will be “a real test for the UN.”
Diplomatic track: Russia enters the picture
In a notable development on the diplomatic front, Rubio confirmed he spoke with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Tuesday at Moscow’s request — discussing Iran, bilateral relations, and Ukraine. The call follows a Trump-Putin conversation last week in which the Russian president reportedly offered to assist with the Iran situation, specifically in relation to Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile. The scope of any Russian role in a potential resolution remains unclear, but the outreach signals that Moscow is positioning itself as a potential mediator or facilitator in the negotiations.
Timeline of the conflict
Feb 28U.S. and Israel launch Operation Epic Fury against Iran
Apr 8Trump declares ceasefire with Iran; Strait of Hormuz remains closed
Apr 13U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports takes effect
Apr ~midIslamabad talks collapse; Iran submits new proposals via Pakistan
May 3Trump announces Project Freedom to escort stranded ships
May 4U.S. destroys 7 Iranian boats; Iran attacks South Korean ship and UAE
May 5Rubio declares Operation Epic Fury “over”; new UNSC resolution drafted
What comes next
With the offensive phase formally declared over, Washington’s strategy now rests on three pillars: Project Freedom to gradually restore commercial navigation through the strait, the naval blockade to maintain economic pressure on Tehran, and a new UN resolution to build international diplomatic isolation around Iran. Whether that combination is sufficient to bring Tehran to the table — on terms that include limits on its nuclear program — remains the central unresolved question of the conflict.
Iran has not yet responded formally to Tuesday’s declaration. Negotiations via Pakistani mediators remain nominally active, but the gap between the two sides on nuclear concessions and the sequencing of a deal is as wide as it has been at any point since the ceasefire.
