US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth declared a decisive military victory over Iran and said Iran’s missile program had been functionally destroyed.
Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Kaine spoke to reporters Wednesday, a day after they pulled back from the brink of threatening an all-out attack on Iran, two hours before the deadline that U.S. President Donald Trump set for Tehran to open the blockaded Strait of Hormuz.
“Operation Epic Fury was a historic and overwhelming victory on the battlefield. It was a military victory for Capital V,” Hegseth said, adding that the U.S. and Israel’s war against Iran had achieved “all its objectives,” including the destruction of its navy, air defense systems, and missile production capabilities.
A ceasefire agreement with Iran means Iran will “never possess nuclear weapons.” Iran’s new leadership “begged” for a cease-fire, saying they had “no choice and no time.”
“We have completed the complete destruction of Iran’s defense industrial base, which is the core of our mission,” Hegseth added. “They can’t make missiles anymore.”
But Hegseth acknowledged that Iran is not completely defenseless.
“They can still shoot, we know that,” he said. “They can still shoot here and there, but that would be very unwise.”
Hegseth said U.S. forces were “on the prowl” in the Middle East to ensure Iran adhered to a two-week ceasefire and to monitor the country’s enriched uranium stockpile.
“As for uranium, we are monitoring it. We know what they have, and they will let it go, and we will take it. If we need it, we will take it,” Hegseth told reporters.
After President Trump announced the ceasefire, Iran declared “victory” and the Supreme National Security Council called on the people to remain united until the details of winning the war are finalized, according to IRNA news agency.
“We congratulate all Iranians on this victory and emphasize that patience and caution on the part of the authorities remains necessary until the details of this victory are finalized,” the council said in a statement, according to IRNA news agency.
It added that Iran, along with its “axis of resistance” in Lebanon, Iraq, Yemen and occupied Palestine, “inflicted on our enemies in the past 40 days a blow that the world’s historical memory will never forget.”
Kaine told a Pentagon news conference that while U.S. military objectives in Iran have been achieved, the ceasefire is temporary and the military remains ready to resume fighting.
Opening of the Strait of Hormuz
A senior Iranian official told Reuters that if a ceasefire framework is agreed, Iran could open the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday or Friday before talks with the United States in Pakistan.
Iran’s paralysis of the Strait of Hormuz through the war transformed the global oil and gas market.
As part of the ceasefire agreement with the United States, Tehran agreed to allow ships to safely navigate the Strait of Hormuz.
The official told Reuters the reopening of the strait would be done in coordination with Iran’s military.
Trita Parsi, deputy director of the Quincy Institute for Responsible States and Strategy, said the U.S. president needed a way out of the war because it “ended up being an absolute disaster.”
“Trump needed to leave and he accepted it,” Parsi told Al Jazeera, adding: “The next two weeks will be crucial.”
“I think it has the potential to be a real diplomatic outlet, but we’re not there yet,” Parsi said.
