(The Center Square) – Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Tuesday afternoon that Operation Epic Fury was concluded – similar to what the president has said in his communications with Congress – and that the U.S. is in a defensive phase in the Strait of Hormuz.
“The operation is over,” Rubio said. “We’re done with that stage of it.”
kA 5:ClQ=ECQm!C6D:56?E s@?2=5 %CF>A 925 4@>>F?:42E65 H:E9 r@?8C6DD 52JD 62C=:6C E92E E96 462D67:C6 :?:E:2E65 3J E96 &]$] :? 62C=J pAC:= 925 67764E:G6=J 6?565 E96 @A6C2E:@?[ 244@C5:?8 E@ C6A@CED]k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmtA:4 uFCJ’D >2:? @3;64E:G6D[ 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 25>:?:DEC2E:@?[ H6C6 E@ 56DEC@J xC2?’D >:=:E2CJ :?7C2DECF4EFC6 2?5 D6G6C :ED A2E9 E@ 2 ?F4=62C H62A@?] xED @3;64E:G6D 5:5 ?@E :?4=F56 6?DFC:?8 E92E E96 $EC2:E @7 w@C>FK H2D @A6C2E:?8 ?@C>2==J 2?5 7C66=J[ 3FE xC2? 3682? 4@?5F4E:?8 DEC2E68:4 4@F?E6C>62DFC6D :? E96 DEC2:E 7C@> E96 DE2CE] #@F89=J a_T @7 E96 H@C=5’D @:= :D EC2?DA@CE65 E9C@F89 E96 DEC2:E]k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmpE %CF>A’D 5:C64E:@?[ E96 &]$] 3682? !C@;64E uC665@>[ H92E E96 25>:?:DEC2E:@? D2JD :D 2? 6?E:C6=J D6A2C2E6 @A6C2E:@? 2?5 H9@==J 5676?D:G6 :? ?2EFC6[ @? |@?52J] tG6? E9@F89 @?6 @7 E96 4@?5:E:@?D 7@C E96 462D67:C6 H2D E96 7F== C6@A6?:?8 @7 E96 DEC2:E[ xC2? 92D 4@?E:?F65 >2<:?8 E96 DEC2:E 5:77:4F=E E@ EC2G6CD6] %9C@F89 !C@;64E uC665@>[ E96 &]$] 2:>D E@ 2E =62DE E6>A@C2C:=J DE23:=:K6 E96 $EC2:E @7 w@C>FK D@ 4@F?EC:6D H9@ ?@C>2==J FD6 :E E@ C6EC:6G6 2?5 EC2?DA@CE @:= 42? 5@ D@]k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQm$64C6E2CJ @7 (2C !6E6 w68D6E9 F?56CD4@C65 %F6D52J >@C?:?8 2E 2 !6?E28@? AC6DD 3C:67:?8 E92E !C@;64E uC665@> H2D 2 5676?D:G6 >:DD:@?[ 2?5 #F3:@ 6>A92D:K65 E92E 282:? %F6D52J 27E6C?@@?]k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQm“(92E’D C62==J :>A@CE2?E 7@C… 6G6CJ@?6 E@ F?56CDE2?5 :D E9:D :D ?@E 2? @776?D:G6 @A6C2E:@?] %9:D :D 2 5676?D:G6 @A6C2E:@?[” #F3:@ D2:5] “p?5 H92E E92E >62?D :D G6CJ D:>A=6i %96C6VD ?@ D9@@E:?8 F?=6DD H6VC6 D9@E 2E 7:CDE]”k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmxC2? 7:C65 @? &]$] H2C D9:AD :? E96 DEC2:E @? |@?52J 2?5 E96 &]$] C6E2=:2E65 2?5 DF?< D6G6? xC2?:2? 72DE 3@2ED]k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQm#F3:@ 2=D@ DEC6DD65 E92E &]$] :?G@=G6>6?E 2E E9:D A@:?E H2D E@ 96=A @E96C 4@F?EC:6D 2?5 E96:C A6@A=6]k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQm“|2?J ?2E:@?D[ AC:G2E6=J[ 2?5 D@>6 AF3=:4=J[ 92G6 2D<65 E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D E@ 96=A 7C66 E96:C D9:AD 2?5 E@ C6DE@C6 7C665@> @7 ?2G:82E:@? :? E96 $EC2:ED @7 w@C>FK[ :? E9:D 4C:E:42= 2CE6CJ @7 8=@32= EC256[” #F3:@ D2:5] “p?5 D@ !C6D:56?E %CF>A[ 2D 96 2=H2JD 5@6D[ DE6AA65 FA 2?5 2?DH6C65 E96 42==D 7@C E96:C 96=A]”k^Am
kAmw6 2=D@ 25565[ 9@H6G6C[ E92E p>6C:42? 24E:@? H2D DE:== “:? E96 D6CG:46 @7 @FC ?2E:@?2= :?E6C6DE 23@G6 2== 6=D6[” 2?5 E92E :E H2D ?646DD2CJ 3642FD6 xC2? H2D G:@=2E:?8 :?E6C?2E:@?2= =2H]k^Am
kAm“xE :D 2? :?E6C?2E:@?2= H2E6CH2J[ 2?5 :?E6C?2E:@?2= =2H :D G6CJ 4=62C[” #F3:@ D2:5] “}@ 4@F?ECJ 42? 4@?EC@= E96>…]] xEVD 4@>A=6E6=J :==682=[ 4@>A=6E6=J :==68:E:>2E6 2?5 4@>A=6E6=J F?2446AE23=6[ 2?5 E92EVD H9J E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D >:=:E2CJ :D 8F:5:?8 DEC2?565 4@>>6C4:2= D9:AD D276=J E9C@F89 E96 DEC2:E 2?5 :D H@C<:?8 E@ C6DE@C6 7C665@> @7 ?2G:82E:@? 2?5 AFEE:?8 2? 6?5 E@ E96D6 677@CED E@ 9@=5 E96 8=@32= 64@?@>J 9@DE286]”k^Am
kAm#F3:@ DA@<6 2?5 E@@< BF6DE:@?D 7C@> C6A@CE6CD 2E E96 (9:E6 w@FD6 @? %F6D52J 2D (9:E6 w@FD6 !C6DD $64C6E2CJ z2C@=:?6 {62G:EE :D @FE @? >2E6C?:EJ =62G6 2H2:E:?8 E96 2CC:G2= 96C D64@?5 49:=5]k^Am