Trump says Project Freedom will pause to see if a peace deal can be reached with Iran
發佈日期: 2026-05-06 21:55
TVB News
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington's major US military operation against Iran is over but stopped short of saying the conflict is over or cannot be restarted.
However, US President Donald Trump later said "Project Freedom", aimed at opening the Strait of Hormuz and allowing ships to pass safely, will be paused to see whether a peace deal can be reached between Washington and Tehran.
Speaking to reporters at the White House, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said "Operation Epic Fury" the attack the US and Israel mounted on Iran on February 28th "is concluded" because the objectives of the mission were all successfully concluded.
Rubio said the US is now shifting to a strictly "defensive" mission, "Project Freedom", aimed at opening the Strait of Hormuz and allowing ships to pass safely.
"Yeah, look, the operation Epic Fury is concluded. We achieved the objectives of that operation. I'm not going to, you know, we're not cheering for an additional situation to occur. We would prefer the path of peace. What the president would prefer is a deal."
However, US President Donald Trump later said Project Freedomwill be paused to see whether a peace deal can be reached between Washington and Tehran. He also downplayed the conflict with Iran, calling it a "skirmish."
"I call it a skirmish because Iran has no chance. They never did. They know it. They express it to me when I talk to them. Then they get on television, they say how well they're doing. And they have no Navy, totally wiped out. They have no Air Force, totally wiped out. They have no anti-aircraft capability, totally wiped out, no radar, they have no leaders. The leaders are wiped out, the whole thing." Trump also insisted Tehran wants to make a peace deal.
Iran said on Wednesday it would accept a peace deal only if it was fair.
Meanwhile, Iran denied striking the UAE "in recent days," according to a statement by Ebrahim Zolfaghari, a spokesman for Iran's joint military command.
The United Arab Emirates had said its air defences engaged 15 missiles and four drones fired by Iran.
Authorities in the eastern emirate of Fujairah said one drone sparked a fire at a key oil facility, wounding three Indian nationals.
