The United States has declared “victory” in the war with Iran, claiming it has largely destroyed the country’s military as a two-week ceasefire begins with the Middle East nation.
“Operation Epic Fury was a historic and overwhelming victory on the battlefield, a capital V military victory,” US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said in his opening remarks during a press conference at the Pentagon on Wednesday.
He also said the US President “chose mercy” in Iran, adding that Iran’s leadership accepted a two-week ceasefire “under overwhelming pressure.”
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Hegseth said that the months-long operation had rendered Iran’s military “combat ineffective for years to come.”
However, according to CNN sources, US intelligence has recently determined that roughly half of Iran’s missile launchers are still intact and thousands of one-way attack drones remain in Iran’s arsenal.
Hegseth acknowledged but played down Iran’s remaining capability at Wednesday’s briefing, saying, “What little they have left, buried in bunkers, is all they will have.”
“They can still shoot, we know that,” Hegseth added.
“Their command and control is so decimated they can’t really talk and coordinate so they still may shoot here and there but that would be very, very unwise.”
Hegseth said that the military was “hanging around” as the ceasefire is underway.
“We’ll be hanging around, we’re not going anywhere,” he said.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks to members of the media during a press briefing at the Pentagon in Washington, Wednesday, April 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta) Credit: Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP
One of Iran’s demands in order to end the war is the removal of all US military forces from “all bases and positions in the region.” That demand would almost certainly be a non-starter for the US.
It follows US President Donald Trump’s announcement early on Wednesday of a “double-sided ceasefire” with Iran for two weeks.
“Subject to the Islamic Republic of Iran agreeing to the COMPLETE, IMMEDIATE, and SAFE OPENING of the Strait of Hormuz, I agree to suspend the bombing and attack of Iran for a period of two weeks,” Trump said in a post to Truth Social.
“This will be a double-sided CEASEFIRE!”
The announcement came about an hour and a half before Trump’s deadline on Iran was set to expire, in which he threatened the death of “a whole civilisation”.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) said they will heed the temporary ceasefire but warned that they are ready to return to war if the “enemy makes another miscalculation.”
Iran is claiming victory from the ceasefire, saying Donald Trump has accepted Tehran’s conditions. (AP PHOTO) Credit: AAP
In a statement praising its fighters, the IRGC said that the “foolish enemy” understands that “attacking the infrastructure of the Iranian people will have severe consequences.”
The group stated it has “extensive experience” gained from two wars with Israel and the United States and called on US allies in the region to end their cooperation with Washington.
The IRGC also released a video statement showing missiles being fired last night, just before the ceasefire took effect.
Iran halts Strait of Hormuz traffic after Israel’s attack on Lebanon
Iran has halted oil tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz after Israel attacked Lebanon, semi-official news agency Fars reported.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said earlier that Lebanon was included in the ceasefire between Israel, the United States and Iran, but the Israeli military said attacks on Hezbollah in Lebanon would continue.
It comes as earlier Trump, in a phone interview with ABC News, said that the US is “thinking of” controlling the Strait of Hormuz “as a joint venture” with Iran.
“It’s a way of securing it — also securing it from lots of other people,” Trump said, according to the ABC News report. “It’s a beautiful thing,” Trump added.
Controlling the freedom of navigation would undermine international sea law, many experts believe. However the UN’s “Law of the Sea” treaty has never been ratified by the US or Iran.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth looks toward Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine, as they speak to members of the media during a press briefing at the Pentagon in Washington, Wednesday, April 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta) Credit: Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP
Joint Chiefs Chairman General Dan Caine earlier said he believed the Strait of Hormuz is open the day after Iran agreed to a ceasefire plan.
Asked directly whether the strait was open, Caine said: “I believe so, based on the diplomatic negotiations.”
Hegseth said separately during the briefing that “what has been agreed to, what’s been stated, is the strait is open.”
“Our military is watching, sure, their military is watching, but commerce will flow,” Hegseth said.
At least two vessels safely transited through the strait since the ceasefire began, according to the latest data from MarineTraffic.
The ship-tracking platform also said, however, that hundreds of vessels remain in the region.
Israel’s war with Lebanon continues
The Israeli military said it has undertaken the largest wave of strikes across Lebanon since the start of its invasion, striking more than a hundred command centers and military sites belonging to Iran-backed Hezbollah.
In a post shared on Telegram, the IDF said the strikes, planned meticulously over weeks to “deepen the damage,” involved areas of Beirut, Beqaa and southern Lebanon, and were conducted within 10 minutes and across multiple areas simultaneously.
Firefighters, first responders, and volunteers work on smoldering debris at the site of an Israeli airstrike that struck an apartment building in Beirut, Lebanon, Wednesday, April 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein) Credit: Bilal Hussein/AP
Most of the infrastructure that was struck was located “within the heart of the civilian population,” the IDF said, blaming Hezbollah for using Lebanese civilians as human shields.
It added that “steps were taken to mitigate harm to uninvolved individuals as much as possible” prior to the strikes, without elaborating.
Hundreds of people have been killed and wounded in Israel’s strikes on Lebanon on Wednesday, Lebanon’s health minister said, according to the country’s National News Agency.
Health minister Rakan Nassereddine said there are “hundreds dead and wounded” following Wednesday’s attacks, NNA reported.
Nuclear material to be removed from Iran
During the Pentagon briefing, Hegseth said that any nuclear material Iran “should not have” will be removed under the terms of the ceasefire — though Iran has not mentioned that term in its own official communications.
“Under the terms, any nuclear material they … should not have, will be removed,” Hegseth said.
“The president has been clear from the beginning — there will be no Iranian nuclear weapons. Period, full stop. Other presidents said it. President Trump did it,” he added.
An Iranian cluster munition missile explodes in the sky over northern Israel, Wednesday, April 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit) Credit: Ariel Schalit/AP
Hegseth’s comments came after Trump said in a post on Truth Social on Wednesday that the US would work with Iran to “dig up and remove” its stockpiles of uranium targeted during American air strikes.
Hegseth said, regarding the uranium, that Iran will “give it to us voluntarily.”
“We’ll get it, we’ll take it, we’ll take it out. Or if we have to do something else ourselves, like we did Midnight Hammer or something like that, we reserve that opportunity,” he said, referring to the bombing raid against nuclear facilities in Iran last June.
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