At a White House press conference, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the conclusion of Operation Epic Fury, a military operation against Iran. He stated that President Donald Trump had already notified Congress of the end of this phase, and all stated objectives had been achieved.

"'Epic Fury,' as the President notified Congress, we've completed that phase. We've now switched to 'Project Freedom.'" — Rubio noted.

The Secretary of State emphasized that the United States' priority now is ensuring the safe passage of commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz. He called the Iranian blockade of the strait "criminal and destructive," and stated that "the Strait of Hormuz does not belong to Iran," and the country has no right to close it or charge tolls for passage.

Rubio described Project Freedom as a strictly defensive mission: "Don't shoot until they shoot you first." According to him, since the operation began, American forces have already destroyed seven Iranian speedboats that failed to heed warnings.

The Secretary of State noted that Operation Epic Fury had accomplished its key objective: the Iranian navy and air force, according to Washington, had been virtually destroyed. Rubio called on Tehran to "come to the negotiating table" for a diplomatic settlement, including issues related to its nuclear program.