Offensive stage of Iran war is over, US Secretary of State Rubio says

Key developments are emerging from the global stage. Offensive stage of Iran war is over, US Secretary of State Rubio says18 minutes ago Share Save Add as preferred on GoogleKathryn Armstrong Watch: Captain of stranded ship in Strait of Hormuz tells of 'pressure'US Secretary of State Marco Rubio says the initial US-Israeli offensive in Iran - known as Operation Epic Fury - is over after it reached its objectives. "We would prefer the path of peace. What the president would prefer is a deal," he told reporters on Tuesday.

His comments come after a spate of attacks in the Strait of Hormuz raised fears the ceasefire between the US and Iran was in jeopardy. The US has said it aims to guide stranded ships out of the Gulf through the largely closed waterway. Tehran has not commented on Rubio's statement, but Iran's parliamentary speaker Mohammad Ghalibaf earlier said: "We know well that the continuation of the status quo is intolerable for America, while we are just getting started.

The Details

"Ghalibaf, Iran's top negotiator in last month's talks with the US, said "Shipping security and energy transit have been jeopardised by the US and its allies with the ceasefire violations and blockade. However, their evil acts will fail". Late on Tuesday the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said a verified source had told it that a cargo vessel has been struck "by an unknown projectile" in the Strait of Hormuz.

Further details were not immediately available. Earlier in the day the UAE said its air defences were engaging missiles and drones from Iran for a second day in a row. On Monday it accused Iran of firing missiles and drones including a strike on an oil port in the emirate of Fujairah which is located outside the Strait of Hormuz, calling it a "dangerous escalation".

Iran on Tuesday denied launching any attacks on the UAE, with a military spokesman saying that, "If such an action had been taken, we would have announced it firmly and clearly". Operation Epic Fury began on 28 February when the US and Israel launched a wave of air strikes on Iran. Tehran responded by blocking the crucial waterway through which 20% of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas usually passes.

What Experts Say

Bowen: Strait of Hormuz standoff raises risk of sliding back into all-out warIn early April, the US and Iran announced a ceasefire under which Iran ended its drone and missile strikes on Gulf countries including the UAE, but few vessels have been able to transit the strait since then. The US also imposed its own blockade on Iranian ports. On Monday the US said it had attacked seven Iranian fast boats in the strait while Iran said it had fired warning shots at a US vessel.

Both sides denied the respective claims. Two commercial ships reported attacks and one said it had successfully exited the strait under a US military escort, as part of Donald Trump's plan to unblock the strait.

The development has drawn wide international attention, with diplomatic circles watching closely.