Rubio Insists War with Iran is Over; Democrats Say Fighting Continues

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday insisted that the war between the United States and Iran is over, but Democratic lawmakers criticized that deadly attacks are still ongoing. According to AFP, Rubio told the House Foreign Affairs Committee: "We are no longer conducting strikes inside Iran to degrade its military capabilities because 'Operation Epic Fury' is over." He emphasized that the United States has achieved victory. Since the U.S. and Israel launched airstrikes on Iran on February 28, this joint operation, named "Operation Epic Fury" by Washington, has plunged the entire Middle East into conflict. Iran has retaliated by attacking U.S. allies in the Middle East and effectively blockading the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway for oil and gas transportation in the Persian Gulf. Rubio stated: "Our definition of victory is destroying Iran's defense industrial base, significantly reducing its missile launcher numbers, and markedly decreasing its drone inventory... We have achieved all these objectives, in addition to destroying Iran's remaining air force and completely eliminating its traditional navy." However, Democratic lawmakers strongly refuted Rubio's claims, arguing that the conflict continues to escalate. Iran attacked Kuwait Airport on Wednesday, killing one person and injuring 63. Bahrain, which also hosts a large number of U.S. troops, was also hit by an Iranian drone attack overnight. Rep. Sara Jacobs, a California Democrat, told Rubio: "You can change the name of a military operation, but you can't change the fact that the Strait of Hormuz remains blocked, and you can't change the reality that all U.S. service members are still in danger." Rubio also briefed lawmakers on the progress of negotiations with Iran. He said that the issue of Iran's stockpile of highly enriched uranium remains at the core of talks, and Tehran has not yet agreed to a peace deal. Washington insists that for any peace agreement to take effect, Iran must hand over its stockpile of near-weapons-grade enriched uranium, agree to limit its nuclear activities, and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Rubio told the committee: "I think this has been made clear in some of the documents exchanged between the two sides, but as of this morning, we have not received final approval from the Iranian system." Iran, for its part, has demanded the release of $12 billion in frozen assets before substantive negotiations on its nuclear program can begin. Iran has also dismissed previous claims by President Donald Trump that its enriched uranium stockpile would eventually be destroyed.