Trump’s Gyrations on the War Leave Even Rubio Out of Sync

When Secretary of State Marco Rubio took to the lectern of the White House press briefing room on Tuesday, he seemed to revel in serving as the administration’s chief spokesman of the day.

He smiled, joked and jabbed gently at reporters, calling on them by the color of their blazers. He took on a range of questions on topics from rising gas prices to Cuba to his upcoming visit with the pope. He invoked the lyrics of ’90s hip-hop songs to describe U.S. adversaries.

And when it came to the war in Iran, or Operation Epic Fury as President Trump branded it in February when the United States joined Israel in striking the country, Mr. Rubio confidently described the state of play in a conflict whose status has been increasingly muddy.

“The operation is over,” Mr. Rubio declared. “Epic Fury is — as the president notified Congress — we’re done with that stage of it. We’re now on to this Project Freedom.”

The current American effort in the Strait of Hormuz, he explained, was focused on providing humanitarian support for civilian crews stranded on ships. He spoke emphatically about the desire for peace with Iran and liberation for its people, indicating that the conflict was moving into a new phase.

But as most things go in Mr. Trump’s orbit, what appeared definitive was fleeting.

Just three hours later, the president announced that Project Freedom, the day-old mission he announced on Sunday to help guide ships out of the strait, would be paused “for a short period of time.”