US and Iran Agree to Two-Week Ceasefire; War Secretary: Decisive Victory Over Iran Achieved
The US and Iran have agreed to a two-week ceasefire, with the US Department of Defense declaring a decisive victory over Iran. At a press conference, Hegseth stated that the US won the war against Iran and destroyed most of its military. He emphasized that "Operation Epic Fury" was a historic and overwhelming battlefield victory, thoroughly dismantling Iran's defense industrial base. However, he acknowledged that Iran still retains missile launch capabilities. Ceasefire terms also include the removal of any nuclear materials Iran should not possess.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 8, 2026 at 23:06
- 🔍 Collected: April 9, 2026 at 00:00 (54 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 15, 2026 at 20:57 (164h 57m after Collected)
After US President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire agreement with Iran, Pete Hegseth and Gen. Dan Caine held a press conference at the Pentagon today.
CNN reported that Caine stated the US military is ready to resume attacks on Iran if Trump gives the order.
He said, "The ceasefire is just a pause. If ordered or called upon, the joint forces are still ready to resume combat operations with the speed and precision demonstrated over the past 38 days. We hope this does not happen."
Caine also mentioned the US military's personnel losses in the conflict, saying he wanted to first pay tribute this morning to the 13 US joint force members who have died "so far" in the operation.
Hegseth, at the press conference, stated that the US has won the war with Iran and destroyed most of Iran's military, despite US intelligence assessments that Iran still retains significant missile launch capabilities.
He said, "Operation Epic Fury was a historic and overwhelming battlefield victory. ... By any standard, Epic Fury has significantly weakened the Iranian military, rendering it incapable of combat for years to come."
AFP reported that Hegseth declared to reporters, "We have completely destroyed Iran's defense industrial base, which was one of the core pillars of our mission. They can no longer manufacture missiles."
But he added that Iran "can still launch (missiles), we know that," but "their command and control has been significantly weakened, making communication and coordination practically impossible, so they may still launch sporadically, but doing so would be extremely unwise."
Hegseth also mentioned that, according to the ceasefire terms announced yesterday, any nuclear materials Iran "should not possess" will be removed, although Iran's official statement did not mention this condition.
Referring to Iran's uranium stockpiles, Hegseth said Iran would "voluntarily deliver them to us," and "we will get them, take them away, transport them out, and if we must take other actions ourselves, such as the previous 'Operation Midnight Hammer,' we reserve that possibility."
Hegseth also said that, assuming a ceasefire agreement had not been reached yesterday, the US had planned to strike multiple targets in Iran, including bridges and power plants.
When asked about Trump's threat yesterday morning that "an entire civilization would be destroyed" without an agreement, and whether Trump was truly prepared to act, Hegseth said, "We had identified a batch of infrastructure, bridges, and power plants as targets, and they were ready."
He stated that it was precisely Trump's warning that made Iran willing to come to the negotiating table, ultimately leading to the two-week ceasefire.
Hegseth told reporters, "(Trump) finally said: 'We can make you lose everything. Your ability to export energy will be deprived, and the US military has the ability to attack these facilities with impunity.' It was this threat that actually made Iran say: 'Okay, we want to negotiate this agreement.'"
After the US and Israel jointly attacked Iran at the end of February, Iran effectively blockaded the Strait of Hormuz, a vital energy transportation route. At today's press conference, when Caine was directly asked if the strait was open, he replied, "Based on diplomatic negotiations, I believe so."
Hegseth also stated, "It has been agreed and announced that the strait is open," and "our military is monitoring, their military is also monitoring, but commercial activities will continue." According to the latest data from the ship tracking website MarineTraffic, at least two ships have safely crossed the strait since the ceasefire took effect. However, the platform also stated that hundreds of vessels are still stranded in the area. (Editor: Yang Chao-yen) 1150408
CNN reported that Caine stated the US military is ready to resume attacks on Iran if Trump gives the order.
He said, "The ceasefire is just a pause. If ordered or called upon, the joint forces are still ready to resume combat operations with the speed and precision demonstrated over the past 38 days. We hope this does not happen."
Caine also mentioned the US military's personnel losses in the conflict, saying he wanted to first pay tribute this morning to the 13 US joint force members who have died "so far" in the operation.
Hegseth, at the press conference, stated that the US has won the war with Iran and destroyed most of Iran's military, despite US intelligence assessments that Iran still retains significant missile launch capabilities.
He said, "Operation Epic Fury was a historic and overwhelming battlefield victory. ... By any standard, Epic Fury has significantly weakened the Iranian military, rendering it incapable of combat for years to come."
AFP reported that Hegseth declared to reporters, "We have completely destroyed Iran's defense industrial base, which was one of the core pillars of our mission. They can no longer manufacture missiles."
But he added that Iran "can still launch (missiles), we know that," but "their command and control has been significantly weakened, making communication and coordination practically impossible, so they may still launch sporadically, but doing so would be extremely unwise."
Hegseth also mentioned that, according to the ceasefire terms announced yesterday, any nuclear materials Iran "should not possess" will be removed, although Iran's official statement did not mention this condition.
Referring to Iran's uranium stockpiles, Hegseth said Iran would "voluntarily deliver them to us," and "we will get them, take them away, transport them out, and if we must take other actions ourselves, such as the previous 'Operation Midnight Hammer,' we reserve that possibility."
Hegseth also said that, assuming a ceasefire agreement had not been reached yesterday, the US had planned to strike multiple targets in Iran, including bridges and power plants.
When asked about Trump's threat yesterday morning that "an entire civilization would be destroyed" without an agreement, and whether Trump was truly prepared to act, Hegseth said, "We had identified a batch of infrastructure, bridges, and power plants as targets, and they were ready."
He stated that it was precisely Trump's warning that made Iran willing to come to the negotiating table, ultimately leading to the two-week ceasefire.
Hegseth told reporters, "(Trump) finally said: 'We can make you lose everything. Your ability to export energy will be deprived, and the US military has the ability to attack these facilities with impunity.' It was this threat that actually made Iran say: 'Okay, we want to negotiate this agreement.'"
After the US and Israel jointly attacked Iran at the end of February, Iran effectively blockaded the Strait of Hormuz, a vital energy transportation route. At today's press conference, when Caine was directly asked if the strait was open, he replied, "Based on diplomatic negotiations, I believe so."
Hegseth also stated, "It has been agreed and announced that the strait is open," and "our military is monitoring, their military is also monitoring, but commercial activities will continue." According to the latest data from the ship tracking website MarineTraffic, at least two ships have safely crossed the strait since the ceasefire took effect. However, the platform also stated that hundreds of vessels are still stranded in the area. (Editor: Yang Chao-yen) 1150408
FAQ
What are the main terms of the US-Iran ceasefire agreement?
A two-week ceasefire has been agreed upon, with the US claiming to have significantly weakened Iran's military capabilities.
Can Iran still launch missiles?
Yes, Iran still retains missile launch capabilities, but its command and control capabilities have been significantly reduced.