Overview
- Rubio told Congress on June 2 that Operation Epic Fury’s campaign of sustained strikes inside Iran has ended and that U.S. forces will now rely more on diplomacy and targeted measures.
- He said negotiations with Tehran remain active but unresolved and identified Iran’s stockpile of near‑weapons‑grade enriched uranium as the central sticking point to any deal.
- Rubio reported no evidence that China provided Iran with assistance that impeded U.S. military operations while acknowledging Iran still has some military equipment of Chinese origin.
- The State Department recently sanctioned three China‑based entities it accuses of helping Iran by supplying or publishing satellite imagery tied to the conflict.
- Washington is pushing a U.N. Security Council measure to protect shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, is urging China to back the move, and is contending with likely Russian opposition as regional violence and energy market risks continue to affect civilians and commerce.