US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that Operation Epic Fury, the joint US-Israel military campaign against Iranian forces, has concluded. The declaration, made on May 5, 2026, marks the end of roughly two months of strikes that began in February 2026.
Rubio’s message was blunt in its confidence.
“The Operation Epic Fury is concluded. We achieved the objectives of that operation.”
The campaign targeted Iranian ballistic missile infrastructure and aimed to secure shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz. Roughly 20% of the world’s oil passes through that narrow waterway on any given day.
What the operation looked like
