United States and Iran have agreed to a two-week ceasefire, an agreement that was struck at the eleventh hour before the ‘8pm deadline’ that US President Donald Trump set over the weekend.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine address media persons on Operation Epic Fury.
Here are the updates from the press conference.
19:09 IST
Gen Caine honors 13 US troops killed in Iran war — “Their sacrifice matters”
“…honouring the 13 members of our American joint force who were killed in action thus far during this operation; their sacrifice and that of their families is deeply important to us, and we are grateful,” General Caine said.
19:04 IST
Caine says “every Shahed drone factory was struck” in Iran assault
“Every factory that produced Shahed one-way attack drones was struck,” General Caine said, referring to weapons Iran deploying the weapon during the conflict.
19:02 IST
“Ceasefire is a pause,” Gen Caine warns as US stays ready
“Let us be clear, a ceasefire is a pause, and the joint force remains ready, if ordered or called upon,” General Dan Caine said.
“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,” Caine said.
19:09 IST
Hegseth says US will make sure Iran complies to the terms
“Had Iran refused our terms, the next targets would have been their power plants, their bridges and oil and energy infrastructure,” Hegseth said.
Hegseth warned that “we stand ready in the background to ensure that Iran upholds” the terms.
“We’re going to make sure Iran complies with this ceasefire and then ultimately comes to the table and makes a deal,” he said.
19:06 IST
“Iran can no longer build missiles,” US Defense Secy Hegseth says
“We finished completely destroying Iran’s defense industrial base, a core pillar of our mission,” Hegseth told reporters.
“They can no longer build missiles, build rockets, build launchers or build (drones) — their factories have been razed to the ground, set back in historic fashion,” he said.
19:04 IST
“Trump chose mercy,” Hegseth says on Iran ceasefire
Defense Secretary Hegseth said President Trump “chose mercy” in Iran, adds Iran’s leadership accepted a two-week ceasefire “under overwhelming pressure.”
18:59 IST
Hegseth says he wants to see Iranians “take advantage of this opportunity”
“I would love to see the Iranian people take advantage of this opportunity, they have been oppressed by the previous regime, and they’ll have a new opportunity with this regime that remains to be seen,” Hegseth said.
18:55 IST
Hegseth warns of repeat strike option
Hegseth pointed to US military action as a warning of what could follow if Iran refuses to comply.
“…like we did Midnight Hammer or something like that,” he said, referring to earlier US strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities.
18:50 IST
US hit 13,000 targets in Iran, destroyed 80% air defences, says Gen Caine
US forces hit over 13,000 targets in Iran, according to Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine .
He says around 80% of Iran’s air defence systems destroyed, and more than 90% of Iran’s conventional navy fleet wiped out.
Caine says nearly 90% of Iran’s weapons factories destroyed, adds, “It will take years for Iran to rebuild any major surface combatants.”
18:48 IST
“Give it voluntarily — or we’ll take it out,” Pentagon’s ultimatum to Iran on uranium
The Defense Secretary outlined two possible paths for Iran — voluntary compliance or forced action.
“They will either give it to us… they’ll give it to us voluntarily, we’ll get it, we’ll take it out — or if we have to do something else ourselves… we reserve that opportunity.”
18:46 IST
“We’re watching it,” Hegseth says on Iran’s ‘buried’ uranium
US Defense Secretary Hegseth said Washington is closely monitoring Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile, warning that the material remains a key point in any future deal with Tehran.
Responding to a question on whether Iran would be required to hand over its enriched uranium, Hegseth said the material is currently hidden but under surveillance.
“That material is currently ‘buried’ and the U.S. is ‘watching it.’”
18:43 IST
“We’re not going anywhere,” Hegseth says as ceasefire holds
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said that the military was “hanging around” as the ceasefire is underway.
“We’ll be hanging around, we’re not going anywhere,” he said.
18:39 IST
“Bravery and sheer guts” of US troops praised by Defense Secretary
Hegseth says:
“For now, for now, [the Pentagon] has done its part”
“We stand ready in the background to ensure Iran upholds every reasonable term.”
“Bravery and sheer guts” of the US military were key to the operation.
“The operation had hobbled Iran’s regime.”
Hegseth claimed the US achieved the best deal possible: “Nobody makes a better deal than Trump.”
18:35 IST
“Iran has been a threat for 47 years,” Pentagon Chief says
Hegseth says: “Iran has been a THREAT to the United States and the free world for 47 years. Chants ‘Death to America.’ Targeting our people. Killing Americans. Lying and blackmailing their way toward a nuclear weapon… No longer. Not on our watch.”
18:30 IST
Hegseth says Iran agreed to deal after “out of options”
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the new Iranian regime “understood that a deal was far better than the fate that awaited them”.
Hegseth confirmed that several senior Iranian officials were killed during the US-Israeli strikes, which he described as critical to achieving strategic objectives.
“This new regime was out of options and out of time, so they cut a deal,” he said.
“They know that this agreement means they will never, ever possess a nuclear weapon,” Hegseth added.
18:25 IST
Hegseth says “every single objective on plan, on schedule” in Iran campaign
The US-Israeli joint operation met every objective on plan and on schedule, says Hegseth.
“We finished completely destroying Iran’s defense-industrial base, a core pillar of our mission,” Hegseth added. “They can no longer build missiles.”
Hegseth says US dismantled Iran’s military in less than 40 days using only 10% of its combat power.
Hegseth says Iran’s navy has been sunk “at the bottom of the sea”
He says Iran’s missile capabilities are “functionally destroyed.”
18:22 IST
“Iran begged for this ceasefire,” says Hegseth
“Iran begged for this ceasefire — and we all know it,” said Hegseth.
“Operation Epic Fury was a capital V military victory,” he said.
Hegseth said that the operation rendered Iran’s military “combat ineffective for years to come.”
18:20 IST
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth declares operation in Iran a ‘a historic and overwhelming victory’
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, referring to the Pentagon’s name for the war, said: “Operation Epic Fury was a historic and overwhelming victory on the battlefield.”
The Defense Secretary highlighted that US objectives — including neutralizing Iranian ballistic missile capabilities, targeting the Iranian navy, and striking the country’s defense industrial base — had been achieved.
Under the terms of the ceasefire arrangement, Tehran will temporarily reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global energy corridor, while Washington suspends planned strikes.
When, where to watch the press conference?
The press briefing can be viewed on the official X handle of Department of War.
The briefing is expected to provide operational clarity on the ceasefire, outline military posture during the pause, and address the broader strategic objectives of ‘Operation Epic Fury’ following weeks of sustained strikes on Iranian infrastructure.
