“Operation Epic Fury is concluded,” US secretary of state Marco Rubio declared early Thursday, marking the end of over two months of unrest triggered by a major military escalation involving the United States and Israel against Iran.The conflict, aimed at curbing the nuclear ambitions of Ali Khamenei’s regime, also triggered major political upheaval in Tehran. Following Khamenei’s killing, his son Mojtaba Khamenei was appointed as the new Supreme Leader, marking a major transition of power.“Operation Epic Fury,” a large-scale military campaign spearheaded by US President Donald Trump with Israeli partnership, began on February 28 and plunged the Gulf and wider Middle East into a period of intense instability and conflict.Announcing the conclusion of the operation, Rubio said, “Operation Epic Fury is concluded. We achieved the objectives of that operation. We’re not cheering for an additional situation to occur. We would prefer the path of peace. What Trump would prefer is a deal… that is, so far, not the route that Iran has chosen.”Rubio further stressed the strategic importance of restoring maritime stability in the region, particularly in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global oil transit route. “Many nations – some privately and some publicly, asked the US to help free their ships and to restore freedom of navigation in the Straits of Hormuz…And so President Trump, stepped up and answered the calls for their help and has directed the US military to guide these stranded ships to safety...And this is the first step towards reopening the Strait and bringing this regime’s act of economic arson, bringing that to a close. Only we’re doing it not only because we were asked, but because we’re the only ones who can… Under President Trump, the United States will help our friends. We are going to stand up to rogue regimes like the one in Tehran and we are going to be unashamed to use our power and our abilities to project military power in the service of our national interests above all else.”Issuing a stern warning to Tehran, Rubio added, “It really is important for them to understand that they should not test the will of the United States, at least not under President Donald Trump. He has proven time and again that he will back up what he says. And if they test him, ultimately, they will lose…”MAGA boss Trump echoed a similarly hardline stance, asserting that Iran’s military infrastructure had been effectively dismantled. “Iran has no chance. They never did. They know it. They express it to me when I talk to them. Then they get on television, and they say how well they are doing. They have no Navy, totally wiped out. They have no Air Force, totally wiped out. They have no anti-aircraft capability… Their leaders are wiped out...I read the papers, and they say how well they are doing. They are not doing well….Reiterating his administration’s core objective, Trump said, “We are truly making America great again. We are doing record business. We have a stock market that hit even with this military operation… We can’t let Iran have a nuclear weapon… They have no navy, no air force, no anti-aircraft equipment. They have nothing. They have no leaders. The leaders happen to be gone, too. But can’t let them have a nuclear weapon...”
