During his inaugural appearance at the White House press briefing, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that Operation Epic Fury in Iran has "concluded" and that the U.S. is advancing to "Project Freedom" along with endeavors to facilitate transit through the Strait of Hormuz.
ABC News questioned Rubio regarding whether, after 10 weeks of conflict, the administration is any closer to eliminating Iran's nuclear stockpile — considering that President Donald Trump's main aim in the war has been to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear arms.
In his answer, Rubio only promoted the military triumphs of Operation Epic Fury.
"Their capacity to construct a defense behind which they could conceal their nuclear activities was eradicated. That's a highly significant accomplishment. And that was the mission of this operation from its inception," he stated.
"But must you secure their nuclear materials for this war to cease?" ABC News inquired of the secretary.
Rubio declined to commit to that. Instead, he emphasized that the U.S. is finished with Operation Epic Fury.
"Well, that's among the issues that require consideration. I'm uncertain about — I believe you're connecting it. The operation is over. Epic Fury is — the president informed Congress, we're done with that phase, OK. We're now engaged in this project of freedom," he remarked.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks during a press briefing in the Brady Briefing Room of the White House in Washington, May 5, 2026.Kylie Cooper/Reuters
The secretary exhibited a distinctly different demeanor from Trump, who has quickly threatened further military measures against Iran.
When questioned about the chance of resumed combat, as Trump indicated was possible, and whether that would necessitate congressional approval, Rubio underscored: "Operation Epic Fury is concluded."
"We accomplished the goals of that operation," Rubio stated. "I'm not going to, you know, we're not advocating for an additional situation to arise. We would favor the avenue of peace. What the president would prefer is an accord. He would prefer to convene and devise a memorandum of understanding for forthcoming negotiations that address all the crucial subjects that must be tackled; a complete opening of the strait so that the world can revert to normalcy."
Rubio on talks: 'If there's a legitimate diplomatic avenue'
Rubio appeared to acknowledge that discussions have faltered. When discussing Iran’s return to the negotiating process, he stated that Trump’s leading negotiators, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, are "diligently working on that."
"However, Iran must recognize the reality of the circumstances and engage in negotiations and accept stipulations that are beneficial for them, but ultimately beneficial for the world," Rubio said.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks during a press briefing in the Brady Briefing Room of the White House in Washington, May 5, 2026.Kent Nishimura/AFP via Getty Images
"Yet, if there's a valid diplomatic path and we continue to pursue it, Steve and Jared are working on that with great effort. If one exists, it could be one that guides them toward rebuilding, toward thriving, and toward stability, and toward not posing a danger to the globe," Rubio added.
This follows Trump’s statement on Sunday in a social media post that his "Representatives are engaging in very fruitful discussions with the Nation of Iran, and that these dialogues could result in something highly favorable for all."
Yet Rubio's remarks suggest that talks are not currently underway and that further effort is needed to bring Iranian representatives to the table.
Sourse: abcnews.go.com