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Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Wednesday that U.S. forces have achieved a “historic and overwhelming victory” against Iran but will remain in the region to ensure compliance with a tentative peace agreement announced by President Donald Trump.
“We’ll be hanging around. We’re not going anywhere,” Hegseth said during a Pentagon press conference. “Our troops are prepared to defend, prepared to go on offense, prepared to restart at a moment’s notice with whatever target package would be needed.”
The comments came a day after Trump announced a two-week pause in fighting as part of ongoing negotiations with Tehran. Trump said earlier Wednesday that both sides have already agreed to several provisions in a preliminary 15-point peace framework.
Hegseth repeatedly referred to the U.S. military campaign, dubbed Operation Epic Fury, in the past tense, suggesting the conflict may be nearing an end. But his assessment contrasted with that of Vice President JD Vance, who described the situation as a “fragile truce” that could collapse in the coming days.
Speaking from Europe, where he is supporting Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, Vance warned that tensions in the Middle East remain high despite the temporary ceasefire.
Hegseth expressed greater confidence, citing the scale and effectiveness of U.S. military operations over the past six weeks.
“In less than 40 days, Central Command, using less than 10 percent of America’s total combat power, dismantled one of the world’s largest militaries,” Hegseth said. “Together with our Israeli partners, America’s military achieved every single objective.”
Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said U.S. forces have struck more than 13,000 targets since the campaign began Feb. 28. Those include roughly 80% of Iran’s air defense systems, more than 1,500 air defense targets, 450 ballistic missile storage facilities and 800 one-way attack drones.
Operations also targeted Iran’s naval capabilities, including more than 700 strikes on mine-related assets in the Strait of Hormuz — which Caine said represents about 95% of Iran’s stockpile.
The U.S. Central Command campaign focused heavily on securing the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global shipping lane through which roughly a quarter of the world’s crude oil supply passes. Its closure during the conflict triggered a sharp rise in global energy prices.
Hegseth said he expects the ceasefire terms will allow full reopening of the waterway, easing pressure on global markets.
Despite the pause in large-scale fighting, the defense secretary acknowledged reports of continued activity by Iranian proxy forces overnight but said the incidents did not constitute a violation of the agreement.
Still, he warned that U.S. forces remain on high alert.
“Iran would be wise to find a way to get a carrier pigeon to their troops in remote locations,” Hegseth said, underscoring that American forces are prepared to respond quickly if hostilities resume.
The durability of the ceasefire remains uncertain as negotiations continue, with U.S. officials balancing optimism about a potential long-term agreement against concerns that the truce could quickly unravel.
