According to a report by Vanguard News on Thursday, June 4, 2026, United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio has insisted that the war involving Iran has ended, despite continued deadly attacks across the Middle East. Rubio told the House Foreign Affairs Committee that the United States was no longer carrying out continuous military strikes inside Iran because Operation Epic Fury had concluded, adding that Washington considered the mission successful.
The conflict, referred to by the US and Israel as Operation Epic Fury, began after coordinated strikes on Iran on February 28 and has since spread across the Middle East. Iran responded by attacking American allies in the region and shutting down the Strait of Hormuz, a critical route for global oil and gas shipments.
Rubio stated that the United States achieved its objectives by destroying Iran’s defense production capabilities, reducing its missile launchers and drone stockpiles, and wiping out what remained of the country’s air force and conventional navy.
Democratic lawmakers strongly disagreed with Rubio’s position, arguing that the conflict was still ongoing. Their concerns followed an Iranian strike on Kuwait’s airport on Wednesday that reportedly killed one person and injured 63 others. Bahrain, another Gulf nation hosting major US military facilities, also experienced overnight drone attacks linked to Iran.
Representative Sara Jacobs challenged Rubio during the hearing, saying renaming the military operation did not change the fact that the Strait of Hormuz remained closed and American service members were still exposed to danger.
Rubio also briefed lawmakers on ongoing negotiations with Iran, explaining that talks were focused heavily on Iran’s highly enriched uranium reserves. He said Tehran had not yet approved a final peace agreement. The United States is demanding that Iran surrender its near-weapons-grade uranium, reduce its nuclear activities, and reopen the Strait of Hormuz before any deal can be finalized.
According to Rubio, discussions between both sides are continuing through exchanged documents, but Iran’s leadership had not given final approval as of Wednesday morning.
Iran, however, has maintained that it wants the release of $12 billion in frozen assets before entering serious nuclear negotiations. Iranian officials also rejected earlier remarks by US President Donald Trump suggesting that Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile would eventually be destroyed……See More
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