Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Wednesday cast the U.S. campaign against Iran as a decisive victory as a fragile ceasefire entered its first day, even as American forces remain poised to resume combat and key questions over the Strait of Hormuz are still unanswered.
Speaking at the Pentagon, Hegseth repeatedly described the 38-day “Operation Epic Fury” in the past tense, declaring it “was a historic and overwhelming victory on the battlefield” that “decimated Iran’s military and rendered it combat ineffective for years to come.”
Gen. Dan Caine, the Joint Chiefs of Staff chair, echoed that assessment, saying allied forces destroyed more than 95% of Iran’s naval mines, took out 80% of its missile facilities and hit 90% of its weapons factories, virtually destroying its defense industrial base. The campaign involved more than 50,000 military personnel and more than 13,000 targets.
Sign Up for NOTUS’ Free Daily Newsletter
Trending
But both officials underscored that U.S. troops weren’t going home and that fighting could quickly resume. Hegseth echoed President Donald Trump’s Truth Social post that said U.S. forces would be “hangin’ around” in the region. The troops remain “prepared to defend, prepared to go on offense, prepared to restart at a moment’s notice,” Hegseth said.
“We’re not going anywhere,” Hegseth said. “We’re going to make sure Iran complies with this ceasefire and then ultimately comes to the table and makes a deal. So we’ll stay put, stay ready, stay vigilant.”
The administration’s framing of the multibillion-dollar operation as a win comes with strong political incentives, with midterm elections in November nearing and consumers weathering economic shocks from the unpopular conflict.
The president himself has admitted that Americans don’t have the patience for a longer occupation and prefer a quick exit and end to the war. Oil prices plummeted 15% on the ceasefire announcement, with Brent crude futures now hovering around a much more politically palatable $92 a barrel.
But the mixed messaging highlights the conflict’s uncertain state just hours after the ceasefire took hold — and whether the war could be seen as a strategic success. While U.S. officials are portraying the campaign as a completed military victory, they are also signaling an open-ended American military presence and the possibility of new strikes.
Key details about the new status quo remain unresolved, especially who controls the Strait of Hormuz, a major energy and shipping waterway — and a main focus for Trump.
Hegseth, when asked if the U.S. would escort ships through the strait, pointed back to the president’s comments on the initial truce.
“You saw the initial agreement that was struck, which is Iran letting ships go through. So there’ll be that. That will be happening. They will be sailing,” he said, adding the U.S. had done an “incredible job militarily inside the Strait of Hormuz.”
But vessel-tracking companies are reporting limited and virtually unchanged movement through the strait since the ceasefire was declared. Only two ships have been confirmed to have gone through since the announcement — a Greek-owned carrier and a Liberia-flagged ship, according to data from MarineTraffic. There are reportedly at least 800 vessels still trapped.
A reporter’s question to Caine on who the military views as being in control of the strait went unanswered.
It’s unclear whether Iran might impose tolls on ships looking to transit the strait under this agreement. On Wednesday, a representative of the Omani government said that tolls cannot be applied to ships transiting the strait, but did not specify whether that statement was made in coordination with Iran.
Another issue left relatively unresolved from the military’s first briefing after the ceasefire is what will happen with Iran’s uranium. Trump signaled that the U.S. military would work with Iran to “dig up and remove” the uranium that the administration has maintained was buried during last year’s strike against three nuclear facilities. Hegseth said the military was “watching it.”
“They’ll 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,” Hegseth added.
Brett McGurk, who served in national security roles in the Biden, Trump, Obama and Bush administrations, poured cold water Wednesday on the administration’s celebratory tone.
“Signal to noise: as of this morning there is no change in the Strait of Hormuz—ships pass only with Iran’s consent—and Iran is shooting missiles at UAE, Kuwait, and Bahrain,” McGurk wrote on X. “Whatever is being said, this is what’s happening.”
Authors
