Operation Epic Fury Is Over — But the Crisis in the Strait Is Just Beginning

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A Mission Declared Complete — With Caveats

Secretary of State Marco Rubio stepped up to the White House podium on Tuesday, May 5, and delivered a message the Trump administration has been building toward for days: the main U.S.-Israeli military operation against Iran — known as Operation Epic Fury — is over.

"The operation is over," Rubio said flatly. "We're done with that stage of it."

The operation began on February 28, when U.S. and Israeli forces launched coordinated airstrikes against Iranian military installations, nuclear sites, and leadership. The strikes killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and set off weeks of Iranian retaliation — missile attacks on Gulf states, the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, and a dangerous standoff that continues to this day.

Rubio argued that the campaign met its central objectives: dismantling Iran's ability to shield its nuclear program behind a military defense network. What he was less able to explain was why Iran still holds more than 900 pounds (408 kilograms) of highly enriched uranium — one of the core reasons the operation was launched in the first place.

"Project Freedom": A New Name, a Different Mission

With Epic Fury officially closed, the United States has moved to a new chapter — a naval operation called Project Freedom, aimed at escorting commercial vessels out of the Gulf and through the Strait of Hormuz.

Rubio was careful to frame this as a strictly defensive mission. The U.S. would not fire unless fired upon, he said. No offensive strikes. No major combat.

That distinction matters politically: it allows the White House to sidestep an awkward deadline under the War Powers Resolution of 1973, a law that gives a president 60 days to wage military action without congressional approval before being required to either end the operation or seek authorization. That 60-day clock expired on May 1 — last Friday.

By declaring hostilities terminated and renaming the ongoing mission, the administration effectively argued the clock has reset. Critics — including a growing number of Republican senators — are not convinced.

Congress Pushes Back

The War Powers Resolution has become a flashpoint on Capitol Hill. Democrats have repeatedly tried to force votes limiting Trump's authority, and some Republicans have started to voice similar concerns.

Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins put it plainly: the 60-day deadline "is not a suggestion, it is a requirement." North Carolina's Thom Tillis echoed the sentiment, calling for Congress to pass a formal Authorization for the Use of Military Force so the public knows lawmakers are behind the president.

The White House, for its part, insists the ceasefire with Iran — in place since early April — effectively pauses the clock. Legal experts disagree sharply. The statute contains no provision for a pause, they argue; once the 60-day countdown starts, nothing stops it.

House Speaker Mike Johnson offered a simpler take: "We're not at war," he told NBC News.

23,000 People Stranded — and 10 Already Dead

While the legal debate continues in Washington, the human cost at sea is mounting.

Rubio disclosed on Tuesday that at least 10 civilian sailors have died as a direct result of the ongoing conflict in the Strait of Hormuz. Approximately 23,000 people from 87 countries are currently aboard ships trapped in or near the Gulf, unable to move.

"They're sitting ducks," Rubio said. "They're isolated, they're starving, they're vulnerable."

Iran effectively closed the strait on March 4, three days after the U.S.-Israeli strikes began, threatening to attack any vessel that attempted passage. Iranian Revolutionary Guard forces have since boarded ships, laid sea mines, and launched drone attacks on commercial vessels. The UAE reported another barrage of Iranian missiles and drones on Tuesday, even as Washington described a ceasefire as broadly intact.

Before the war, roughly 20 percent of global seaborne oil trade — and 20 percent of the world's liquefied natural gas — passed through the 21-mile-wide strait each day.

On Tuesday evening, President Trump announced he was temporarily pausing Project Freedom to allow diplomatic space for a potential Iran deal — though the naval blockade of Iranian ports would remain in place.

The Nuclear File: Still Open, Still Dangerous

The question of Iran's nuclear material remains the central unresolved issue of the entire conflict.

Rubio confirmed that U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are actively pursuing a diplomatic solution — but he made clear that any agreement must address not only uranium enrichment but also the stockpiles already hidden deep underground.

"What happens to this material that's buried deep somewhere — that has to be addressed," Rubio said.

Iran still possesses an estimated 408 kilograms of highly enriched uranium, according to the Reuters report from May 5. That material, if further processed, would be sufficient for multiple nuclear warheads.

Rubio also expressed hope that Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, expected to visit Beijing on Wednesday, would hear from Chinese leadership a clear message: it is time to release the stranglehold on the Strait of Hormuz. Washington is well aware that China, which receives roughly a third of its oil through the strait, has significant leverage over Tehran — leverage the CCP has, so far, been reluctant to use.

What Comes Next

The picture emerging from Washington is one of carefully managed ambiguity. The administration insists the war phase is over while maintaining a naval blockade. It pursues diplomacy while signaling it will not hesitate to respond militarily if provoked. It declares objectives met while acknowledging that Iran's nuclear material remains unsecured.

For the thousands of civilians trapped aboard ships in the Gulf, the diplomatic fine print is secondary. They need food, water, and a way out.

For the rest of the world — which depends on the strait for a substantial share of its energy supply — the question is simpler: when does normal commerce resume?

The answer, for now, remains unclear.

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Sources:

1. Reuters – Rubio says US has achieved objectives of Iran operation (May 5, 2026): https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/ten-civilian-sailors-have-died-strait-hormuz-rubio-says-2026-05-05/
2. NPR – Trump says he's paused U.S. effort to guide stranded vessels out of Strait of Hormuz (May 5, 2026): https://www.npr.org/2026/05/05/nx-s1-5811770/iran-war-updates
3. TIME – Rubio Says 'Epic Fury' Is Over (May 5, 2026): https://time.com/article/2026/05/05/rubio-iran-epic-fury-over-strait-hormuz/
4. CBS News – As Iran war hits key 60-day deadline, Congress and Trump face choices (May 1, 2026): https://www.cbsnews.com/news/iran-war-powers-resolution-60-day-deadline-congress-trump/
5. PBS NewsHour – Trump says deadline for Congress to approve Iran war doesn't apply (May 1, 2026): https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/trump-says-deadline-for-congress-to-approve-iran-war-doesnt-apply-claiming-hostilities-have-terminated
6. Wikipedia – 2026 Strait of Hormuz crisis (background/context): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Strait_of_Hormuz_crisis

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