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Report nowUS Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has described the ceasefire with Iran as a "historic victory". At a press conference, he presented the military balance sheet - and hardly missed an opportunity to praise Donald Trump.
US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has shown himself to be in a combative mood following the agreed ceasefire with Iran. At a press conference, the 45-year-old gave a detailed assessment of Operation Epic Fury - and made it unmistakably clear that the USA will remain vigilant.
"Iran has been a threat to the US and the free world for 47 years," said Hegseth. "Not anymore." Iran had "begged" for the ceasefire - everything had been planned that way from the start.
Hegseth presented a series of figures to prove the success of the US military: Around 90 percent of Iran's drone fleet had been destroyed and 150 Iranian ships were at the bottom of the sea. Iran no longer has a functioning air defense system. "We control their airspace," said Hegseth. Weapons factories and production facilities had also been deliberately taken out. "The new regime no longer has any power," he said with conviction.
Chief of Staff Dan Caine, who also took to the microphone, addressed his first words to the bereaved families of fallen US soldiers: "Their sacrifice and the sacrifice of their loved ones is of the utmost importance to us. Their names and their bravery will never be forgotten." He also thanked Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain and other supporting countries.
When asked what would happen after the two-week ceasefire, Hegseth was brief: "Yes, we're not going anywhere. We're hanging around." We will remain on the ground and intervene if Iran does not adhere to the agreed points. In this case, he again threatened to attack energy facilities and the country's entire infrastructure.
In any case, the nuclear program was non-negotiable: Iran would never acquire nuclear weapons, emphasized Hegseth.
The defense minister repeatedly interspersed hymns of praise for his boss. "Nobody makes better deals than President Trump," he said - several times.
The supply statistics for the mission were also presented at the press conference - including six million meals, 920,000 gallons of coffee and two million energy drinks. "I'm not saying we have a problem," Hegseth joked when asked about the large quantities of coffee. Then he became serious again: "It's dark, it's hot and exhausting. The soldiers need sufficient supplies."
