Operation Epic Fury is over

Before President Donald Trump's announcement that the US would pause "Project Freedom", Secretary of State Marco Rubio gave a briefing at the White House confirming that "Operation Epic Fury" - the name given to the initial US-Israeli offensive against Iran - had finished.

"Operation Epic Fury is concluded. We achieved the objectives of that operation," Rubio said, adding the offensive stage of the war with Iran was "over".

Rubio said Trump would now prefer to reach a deal with Iran including a memorandum of understanding on how the Strait of Hormuz can be fully reopened.

"That's the route he prefers. That is so far not the route that Iran has chosen," Rubio said.

-BBC