WASHINGTON (Kashmir English): US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told lawmakers on Wednesday that the military campaign against Iran had concluded and that any subsequent American military action would be defensive in nature rather than part of an ongoing offensive operation codenamed “Operation Epic Fury”.
He argued that Washington has achieved its objectives by severely degrading Iran’s conventional military capabilities.
Rubio was responding to questions by members of Congress during a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing about the administration’s assessment of the conflict and its aftermath.
His comments came amid mounting concerns over regional security, the deployment of US forces across the Middle East and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital maritime route through which a significant share of the world’s oil exports pass.
During the hearing, Rubio announced, “We’re no longer conducting sustained strikes inside of Iran to degrade their military, because Epic Fury is over.”
Later, he reiterated: “Epic Fury is over … that operation has concluded.”
The US Secretary of State argued that the operation was a “victory” as Washington achieved its objectives by severely degrading Iran’s conventional military capabilities.
“US had destroyed Iran’s defence industrial base”
He told the lawmakers that the United States had destroyed Iran’s defence industrial base, significantly reduced its missile launchers and drone stockpile, destroyed what remained of its air force and wiped out its conventional navy.
“Those are all gone,” Rubio said. “So, I consider that victory, and we did, too. And that was the purpose of Epic Fury.”
He, however, noted that despite the extensive damage inflicted by the US and Israel, the Islamic Republic retained some drone and maritime combat capabilities.
Speaking on the occasion, Democratic Representative Sara Jacobs questioned the administration’s assertion that the war was over while the US troops remained deployed across the region and the Strait of Hormuz remained closed.
Jacobs asked: “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.”
She continued: “I’d like to talk about the war in Iran. Yesterday, in your testimony, you told Senator Booker that the war in Iran is over. This is news to me. It’s also news to my 2,500 constituents Marines, San Diego, Marines, in the Middle East, the other of my constituents who are deployed there and the thousands more of my constituents who have 48-hour deployment notices whose families are still very concerned.”
Rep Jacobs said she was willing to accept the secretary’s claim but still had a question for him: “Who won?”
Rubio, however, defended the administration’s definition of victory and said the operation had accomplished the goals set by Washington.
“We’re no longer conducting sustained strikes inside of their military because Epic Fury is over. The second point, as on the question of who won, I can tell you this: we define victory.
“We define victory as destroying their defence industrial base significantly, reducing the number of missile launchers that they possess significantly, reducing the stockpile of drones,” he added.
“And we achieved all of those in addition to destroying what they had left of an Air Force and wiping out their entire conventional navy. Those are all gone, so I consider that victory and we did too, and that was the purpose of Epic [Fury].”
