The US operation „Epic Fury“, which was launched in Iran on February 28, has ended, with its objectives having been achieved, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced at a press conference at the White House.
„Operation „Epic Fury“ is over. As soon as the president notified Congress, we completed that phase. Now we have launched Operation „Project Freedom“, he said, quoted by CNN.
The Chief Financial Officer of the Department of Defense, Jules Hurst, said in late April that the United States had spent $25 billion on the military operation against Iran. However, CBS News, citing American officials, reported that the real cost of the war is double the Pentagon's official figure - approximately $50 million.
CBS News sources noted that Hearst's estimate does not take into account either the destroyed and damaged equipment or the damage caused to US military bases. The US military has lost at least 24 MQ-9 Reaper drones, each worth more than $30 million.
On Sunday, President Donald Trump announced that the US was launching "Project Freedom" to help stranded ships from other countries pass through the Strait of Hormuz.
This is a separate operation from "Epic Fury," Pentagon Secretary Pete Hegseth explained. "Project Freedom" is defensive, narrowly focused and temporary, with a single mission: to protect peaceful commercial shipping from Iranian aggression“, explained Hegseth.
Trump claimed that numerous countries had approached Washington with this request, “almost none of which are involved in such an open and brutal conflict in the Middle East“. He added that the operation was purely humanitarian in nature, designed to help the crews of ships that were running out of food and other supplies.
The Central Command (CENTCOM) specified that it involved guided-missile destroyers, more than 100 land and sea aircraft, multi-role unmanned systems and approximately 15,000 American military personnel. In the meantime, the United States continues its naval blockade of the strait.
The Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy has demanded that all ships pass through the Strait of Hormuz exclusively through the corridor provided by Iran; otherwise, they threaten, any attempt to take another route “will be met with a decisive response“.