{"id":9239,"date":"2026-04-08T15:24:12","date_gmt":"2026-04-08T15:24:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sawahsolutions.com\/range\/hegseth-declares-decisive-military-victory-in-iran-says-u-s-is-hanging-around-to-enforce-ceasefire\/"},"modified":"2026-04-08T15:24:12","modified_gmt":"2026-04-08T15:24:12","slug":"hegseth-declares-decisive-military-victory-in-iran-says-u-s-is-hanging-around-to-enforce-ceasefire","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sawahsolutions.com\/range\/hegseth-declares-decisive-military-victory-in-iran-says-u-s-is-hanging-around-to-enforce-ceasefire\/","title":{"rendered":"Hegseth declares \u2018decisive military victory\u2019 in Iran, says U.S. is \u2018hanging around\u2019 to enforce ceasefire"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth declared the U.S.\u2019s war against Iran a \u201cdecisive military victory\u201d during a press briefing on Wednesday\u2014day one of a two-week ceasefire that could lead to more strikes if the U.S. and Iran can\u2019t reach a long-term deal.<\/p>\n

Hegseth said that \u201cIran begged for this ceasefire\u201d and that \u201cthey\u2019ve had enough,\u201d though the 10-point plan Iran has proposed to end the war includes some propositions that have been non-starters for the U.S. in the past, including withdrawing U.S. troops from the Middle East and lifting all sanctions on Iran.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, we’ll be hanging around. We’re not going anywhere. We’re going to make sure Iran complies with this ceasefire and then ultimately comes to the table and makes a deal,\u201d Hegseth said. \u201cOur 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 in order to ensure that Iran complies.\u201d<\/p>\n

The secretary boasted of 800 targets struck Tuesday night before the ceasefire began, \u201ccompletely destroying\u201d their defense industrial base. That followed his March 13 declaration that it had been \u201cfunctionally defeated.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat little they have left buried in bunkers is all they will have,\u201d Hegseth said Wednesday. \u201cThey can still shoot. We know that their command and control is so decimated they can’t really talk and coordinate.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hegseth added that \u201cIran no longer has any sort of comprehensive air defense\u201d capability.<\/p>\n

Still, Iran retains the ability to fire on ships in the Strait of Hormuz, which suggests that the country still has enough military power to be a threat beyond its borders. Eliminating Iran\u2019s ability to do so is among the key military objectives repeatedly touted by the administration since strikes began in late February.<\/p>\n

Hegseth\u2019s claims about the operation\u2019s success may be overwrought, officials and analysts told the Washington Post<\/em>, in light of the downing of an F-15 fighter jet on Friday and the subsequent downing of an A-10 aiding in the rescue of the fighter\u2019s aircrew.\u00a0<\/p>\n

At the briefing, Air Force Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs, estimated that the U.S. had taken out 80 percent of Iran\u2019s air defense systems and sunk more than 90 percent of its navy over the course of striking more than 13,000 targets.<\/p>\n

\u201cOver the course of 38 days of major combat operation, the Joint Force achieved the military objectives as defined by the president,\u201d Caine said in prepared remarks. \u201cWe welcome the ongoing cease fire, and as the Secretary said, we hope that Iran chooses a lasting peace.\u201d\n\n<\/svg><\/p>\n<\/div>\n