The military operation “Epic Fury” in Iran has officially concluded, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said during a hearing before the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

In response to questions from Nevada Democratic Congresswoman Dina Titus, Rubio was categorical: “Epic Fury has concluded,” ending the military campaign that Washington launched together with Israel against Iranian targets at the end of February.

The statement came amid an intense debate in Congress over the continuity of US operations in the region and just hours after new exchanges of attacks between Iranian and US forces near the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most strategic sea routes for energy trade.

During the hearing, Rubio insisted that the recent actions of the United States are not part of a large-scale military offensive, but rather respond to the protection of international commercial shipping.

"Those ships will be attacked. The United States will respond to that attack by shooting down the drones that are trying to illegally sink a civilian merchant ship," said the Secretary of State, referring to threats against ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz.

He added that current US operations are defensive in nature: “If they don't shoot at those ships, we don't shoot, but we have to respond,” he said.

Rubio's statements coincide with a position he had already expressed in May, when he announced from the White House that the military operation had met its objectives and that Washington was seeking to move towards a different stage focused on maritime security and diplomacy. He then stated that "Operation Epic Fury has concluded. We achieved the objectives of that operation."

According to reports from international agencies, President Donald Trump's administration considers that the offensive phase of the war against Iran is over, although it maintains military capabilities in the region and continues to respond to attacks that it considers direct threats to navigation or to US forces deployed in the Middle East.