WASHINGTON, Mqy 6 — The United States has completed its offensive operations against Iran, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said yesterday, even as Washington warned it was ready to unleash a “devastating” response to any new attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

Rubio’s remarks came after Washington’s top military officer said American forces remain ready to resume combat operations if ordered, as clashes in the vital waterway threatened to unravel a fragile ceasefire.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards navy warned of a “firm response” if ships deviated from its approved route through the strait, as the country’s chief negotiator said Tehran “had not even started yet,” following a spate of attacks in the crucial trade route.

The United Arab Emirates announced it was intercepting a barrage of missiles and drones from Iran for a second day—a claim Tehran “categorically” denied.

“The armed forces...did not launch any missile or drone operation,” Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya command said.

Iran fired missiles and drones at US forces on Monday, while Washington said it struck six Iranian boats it accused of threatening commercial shipping, in the sharpest escalation since a month-long truce.

US Central Command remains “ready to resume major combat operations...if ordered,” General Dan Caine told reporters.

“No adversary should mistake our current restraint with a lack of resolve.”

President Donald Trump urged Iran to “do the smart thing” and make a deal, saying he did not want to kill more Iranians even as the ceasefire teetered.

He earlier dismissed the conflict as “a little skirmish,” adding: “Iran has no chance.”

Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth had said the United States was “not looking for a fight” but warned attacks would face “overwhelming and devastating” force.

‘Malign presence’ 

Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said the status quo was “intolerable,” warning the US “malign presence will diminish” as Tehran vowed to retain control of Hormuz.

Monday’s exchange of fire came as the rivals enforced dueling maritime blockades following Trump’s plan to guide ships out of the Gulf.

The war, sparked more than two months ago by US-Israeli strikes, has battered the global economy despite a weeks-long ceasefire.

Israel’s air force chief Omer Tischler said the military was ready to “deploy the entire air force eastward if required.”

Military chief Eyal Zamir added that the army remained on “high alert” and ready to respond to threats in the Gulf.

Iran denied any naval losses but accused Washington of killing five civilians aboard boats.

Despite tensions, Danish freight giant Maersk said one of its ships had transited Hormuz under US escort.

The UAE called the attacks “a dangerous escalation,” while Saudi Arabia urged efforts toward a political solution.

Rubio accused Iran of “holding the world’s economy hostage” through threats to shipping and the laying of sea mines, and said Washington and Gulf allies had drafted a UN Security Council resolution demanding Tehran halt attacks and disclose the location of mines.

The proposed measure would also require Iran to end efforts to charge tolls in the strait and support a humanitarian corridor, with a vote expected in the coming days, Rubio said.

European and US stocks advanced Tuesday while fears that the ceasefire could fall apart weighed on Asian equities.

Talks remain deadlocked, with only one round of direct negotiations so far.

Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tehran remained open to dialogue, but rejected US “maximum pressure” demands as “impossible.”

Rising energy costs are adding to economic strain and creating a political headache for Trump ahead of midterm elections.

European allies warned prolonged disruption would hit their economies.

“These attacks are unacceptable,” EU chief Ursula von der Leyen said on X, warning that Gulf security has “direct consequences for Europe.”

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz urged Iran to return to talks, echoing calls from French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. — AFP

WASHINGTON, May 6 — President Donald Trump said yesterday he was halting the US military operation to escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz after just one day, in a bid to reach a deal with Iran to end the Middle East war.

Trump’s so-called “Project Freedom” to help vessels leave the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow chokepoint to the Gulf where Iran has seized control in response to being attacked, began on Monday.

But the US leader said on Truth Social that he was now pausing it after a request by mediator Pakistan and other countries, saying that “Great Progress has been made toward a Complete and Final Agreement” with Tehran.

“We have mutually agreed that, while the Blockade will remain in full force and effect, Project Freedom... will be paused for a short period of time to see whether or not the Agreement can be finalized and signed,” Trump said.

Washington is maintaining a blockade of Iran’s ports in a bid to pressure Iran to make a deal to end the war that the United States and Israel launched on February 28.

Tensions had been soaring over the Hormuz operation, with the United States saying it had sunk seven Iranian boats, and several civilian vessels coming under attack, allegedly from Iran.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said earlier yesterday that the United States has completed its offensive operations against Iran, which it dubbed “Operation Epic Fury”.

Rubio’s comments echoed statements to Congress nearly a month into a fragile ceasefire.

“The operation is over—Epic Fury—as the president notified Congress. We’re done with that stage of it,” Rubio told reporters at the White House.

The clashes in the Strait of Hormuz were not part of the original war, he said.

“This is not an offensive operation; this is a defensive operation,” Rubio said. “And what that means is very simple—there’s no shooting unless we’re shot at first.”

Israel and the United States attacked Iran on February 28, killing top leaders and destroying major military and economic sites but not forcing the collapse of the Islamic republic, which has responded with missile and drone attacks across the region.

Trump on April 8 declared a ceasefire with Iran that he has since extended even though negotiations with Tehran have been at a standstill.

Rubio said the United States has “achieved the objectives” of the war.

“These guys are facing, they are facing real, catastrophic destruction to their economy,” he said, while adding that Trump still preferred a negotiated deal with Iran. — AFP