US-Iran Conflict Recap: US Announces End of "Operation Epic Fury," Strait of Hormuz "Freedom Plan" Temporarily Halted

**May 6 Update: U.S.-Iran Developments & Strait of Hormuz** ### U.S. Statements - Secretary of State Pompeo: *“The Epic Fury operation has ended; we achieved its objectives.”* - Trump (via tweet): *“The Freedom Plan for Hormuz ship transits is temporarily suspended. Based on requests from Pakistan and others, our military victory over Iran, and progress toward a final deal, we’ve agreed to pause the plan (while keeping blockades in place) to see if an agreement is finalized.”* - Rubio: Confirms end of *Epic Fury*; U.S. Hormuz actions are defensive—*“If attacked there, we’ll respond with lethal force.”* - U.S. Military: Iran’s attacks haven’t met the threshold to restart large-scale operations; ready to resume action at any time. - U.S. Defense Secretary: U.S.-Iran ceasefire isn’t over; U.S. holds strong negotiation position. - Defense Sec: Trump doesn’t need congressional approval for ongoing Iran military actions. - U.S. Military: USS *Bush* (60+ aircraft) transits Arabian Sea. - Trump: U.S. military may need to enter Iran to access nuclear materials. - Sources: U.S. & Israel coordinating preparations for new Iran strikes. ### Iran Statements - President: Rational dialogue remains possible; maximum pressure will fail. - Supreme Leader’s Foreign Policy Advisor: Iran & U.S. still at war. - Presidential Office: Denies president’s resignation rumors; no rift between president & Revolutionary Guard commander. - Revolutionary Guard Navy Commander: Ships deviating from Hormuz routes face *“decisive response.”* - Military: Denies recent UAE attacks; *“If UAE targets Iranian islands/ports/coastlines, we’ll respond overwhelmingly.”* - Foreign Ministry Spokesperson: Denies UAE’s missile/drone accusations; Iran’s defensive actions target only U.S. ### Strait of Hormuz - Iran: Reiterates control over the strait; launches new transit management mechanism. - Iraq: Slashes oil prices to attract buyers willing to transit Hormuz. - U.S. Defense Sec: Two commercial ships + U.S. destroyer safely transited Hormuz. - U.S. Media: American commercial ships have U.S. military escorts for Hormuz transits. - Trump: *“No ships blocked from Hormuz.”* (Note: A ship-tracking firm previously reported an Iranian tanker may have breached U.S. blockades.)