US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Wednesday that the United States has achieved a decisive military victory over Iran, claiming that Tehran\u2019s missile programme has been functionally destroyed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hegseth, along with Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine, addressed reporters a day after President Donald Trump stepped back from the brink of a full-scale assault on Iran.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The decision came just two hours before a deadline set by Trump for Tehran to reopen the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz.Caine stated that US military objectives in Iran had been achieved but emphasised that the current ceasefire should be viewed as a temporary pause. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
He noted that American forces remain fully prepared to resume combat operations if required.Hegseth added that US forces would maintain a presence in the Middle East to ensure Iran complies with the two-week ceasefire agreement and to closely monitor its enriched uranium stockpile. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
He stressed that Washington is fully aware of Iran\u2019s nuclear assets and is prepared to act if necessary.Speaking further, Caine reiterated that while the objectives of the operation had been met, the US military remains on standby. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
He said the joint force could quickly resume operations with the same speed and precision demonstrated over the past 38 days, although he expressed hope that renewed conflict would not be necessary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He also revealed the scale of the military campaign, stating that US forces had struck more than 13,000 targets inside Iran. According to him, approximately 80% of Iran\u2019s air defence systems and over 90% of its conventional naval fleet were destroyed during the operation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In a follow-up statement, President Donald Trump warned that any country supplying weapons to Iran would face immediate tariffs of 50%, with no exemptions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute indicates that between 2021 and 2025, all of Iran\u2019s imported arms originated from Russia.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Wednesday that the United States has achieved a decisive military victory over Iran, claiming that Tehran\u2019s missile programme has been functionally destroyed. Hegseth,… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2936,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[100,765,165,35,1423],"class_list":["post-2935","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-world","tag-donald-trump","tag-middle-east-conflict","tag-middle-east-tensions","tag-pakistan","tag-war-against-iran"],"yoast_head":"\n