Iran live updates: Trump says 'Project Freedom' in Strait of Hormuz paused

Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters at the White House that operation Epic Fury is now over, saying the U.S. is now involved in a "defensive" operation as it seeks to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

"If they pose a threat to our forces, we'll shoot down drones, we'll shoot down missiles. But it's defensive in nature," Rubio said.

"There's no shooting unless we're shot at first. We're not attacking them. We're not. But if they are attacking us ... you need to respond to that," Rubio said.

As the administration continues its efforts to ramp up international support for opening the Strait of Hormuz, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that the U.S. would put a new draft resolution before the United Nations Security Council to "defend freedom of navigation" in the waterway.

"The draft resolution requires Iran to cease attacks, mining, and tolling," Rubio said in a statement. "It demands that Iran disclose the number and location of the sea mines it has laid and cooperate with efforts to remove them, while also supporting the establishment of a humanitarian corridor."

Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait and Qatar co-authored the draft resolution, which is expected to be put to a vote "in the coming days," according to the announcement.

Last month, the U.S. put forward a similar resolution at the UNSC-but it was vetoed by China and Russia.

It's unclear whether this resolution can gain the necessary support, but earlier this week U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Mike Waltz described it as a "narrower effort" designed to win support from Asian countries and expressed hope that, if adopted, the resolution would embolden countries to step up efforts to protect the waterway.

President Donald Trump suggested that Iran hasn't yet violated the ceasefire despite firing shots in the Strait of Hormuz, saying "I'll let you know" when it is breached.

"They didn't shoot the ships that were guarded by us," Trump said during an Oval Office event on Tuesday.

"The blockade has been amazing. It's like a piece of steel. Nobody is going to challenge a blockade," Trump said.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told reporters that Iran does not control the Strait of Hormuz.

"They said they control the strait. They do not," Hegseth said.

"Iran has an ability to make that deal, but what we're demonstrating with Project Freedom is they don't control the strait. We know Iran is embarrassed by the fact that our blockade is holding, and we can run ships through, and we're going to help the world run ships through," Hegseth said Tuesday.