WASHINGTON (Realist English). Speaking at a Pentagon press conference on April 8, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth emphasized that American forces would remain in the region for the duration of the ceasefire.
“American forces will be hanging around here,” he said in response to journalists’ questions. The statement came a day after President Donald Trump announced a two-week ceasefire with Iran, backing away from earlier threats to “destroy Iranian civilization.” Trump expressed hope that the pause would pave the way for negotiations on a longer-term agreement.
800 strikes before the ceasefire and threat to infrastructure
Hegseth reported that in the hours preceding the cessation of hostilities, the US carried out more than 800 strikes against targets in Iran. He added that if Tehran had refused the agreement, the attacks would have been expanded to include “power plants, bridges, oil and energy infrastructure.” The Pentagon chief called Operation “Epic Fury” an “historic and overwhelming victory on the battlefield,” painting a picture of the Iranian military in ruins.
Claimed results: 80% of air defense destroyed, 150 ships at the bottom
General Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, together with Hegseth, listed the results of the American offensive:
- 80% of Iran‘s air defense systems destroyed;
- 800 one-way attack drone storage facilities and 450 ballistic missile storage facilities hit;
- 150 ships sunk.
“Epic Fury decimated Iran’s military and rendered it combat ineffective for years to come,” Hegseth asserted. “Iran’s navy is at the bottom of the sea. Iran’s air force has been wiped out.”
Tehran remains defiant
Despite the claimed devastation, Tehran remains defiant. The Islamic Republic, using a decentralized command structure built to survive decapitation, orchestrated an average of up to 120 drone and missile attacks per day across the region throughout the conflict. Crucially, it also maintained effective control over the Strait of Hormuz, strategic leverage that has recently sent oil prices soaring. Since the start of the conflict on February 28, 13 American service members have been killed in action and more than 365 wounded, according to the Pentagon.
Hegseth: Iran will hand over uranium voluntarily, or the US will take it by force
Asked by reporters about Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium, Hegseth expressed hope that Tehran would hand it over to Washington “voluntarily.” If not, he warned, America might still try to seize it by force.
“It’s buried, and we’re watching it, we know exactly what they have,” the secretary said. “They’ll give it to us voluntarily. Or if we have to do something else ourselves — like we did in Midnight Hammer or something like that — we reserve that opportunity.”
Caine: “A ceasefire is a pause.”
General Caine struck a more guarded note. “We welcome the ongoing ceasefire,” he said.
“Let us be clear: a ceasefire is a pause, and the joint force remains ready if ordered or called upon to resume combat operations with the same speed and precision as we’ve demonstrated over the last 38 days. And we hope that that is not the case.”
Israel has clearly stated that it does not consider itself bound by the ceasefire with regard to Lebanon, calling the conflict with Hezbollah a “separate skirmish.”
This was followed by the most massive strikes since the start of the conflict, which, according to Lebanese authorities, killed dozens and wounded hundreds. Iran, for its part, threatened to withdraw from the agreement if Israeli attacks on Lebanon did not stop.
As a first step, Tehran suspended tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, creating an immediate threat to the fragile ceasefire. Meanwhile, Iranian media reported the preparation of “retaliatory operations” against Israel. On the morning of April 8, the first ship passages were recorded after a long interruption.