In a striking claim, Pete Hegseth announced that the United States had achieved a “decisive military victory” against Iran, asserting that the Iranian regime approached former President Trump for a ceasefire. This statement from the Pentagon, which suggested that Iranian leadership “begged” for peace, has sparked criticism from Israeli officials. “Epic Fury was a historic and overwhelming victory on the battlefield, a capital V military victory by any measure,” Hegseth declared. He boasted about the casualties among Iranian leadership due to US-Israeli strikes, adding that Iran’s new Supreme Leader was “wounded and disfigured.”

Hegseth went on to emphasize the repercussions for Iran trying to confront the US directly. Despite an incident where Iran successfully downed several US aircraft over 40 days, the US managed to extract two pilots trapped behind enemy lines in a daring 14-hour rescue mission. His comments followed a week after these events, where the downing of US jets and Black Hawks by Iranian forces left two American pilots stranded for 48 hours before they were safely retrieved. In the wake of these tensions, Trump hailed a “big day for World Peace” after orchestrating a last-minute ceasefire agreement, which he described as a “workable basis” to resolve the conflict, following his prior threats to decimate a “whole civilization.”

The ceasefire proposal from Iran consisted of a 10-point plan, which Trump found to be a “workable basis on which to negotiate.” This plan allowed Iran to maintain control over the Strait of Hormuz, with the caveat that non-threatening countries would be permitted passage. Additional key elements included lifting sanctions, compensating Tehran for war damages, and halting hostilities on all fronts, including Israel’s ongoing conflict with Hezbollah in Lebanon. A particularly contentious aspect was Iran’s request to continue enriching uranium for its nuclear program, a point reflected in the Farsi version of the ceasefire document with the phrase “acceptance of enrichment.”

The last-minute agreement came after Trump issued a deadline for Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz and claimed a ‘whole civilization will die’ if Tehran did not capitulate. ‘A big day for World Peace!’ Trump wrote in a Truth Social post at midnight. ‘Iran wants it to happen, they’ve had enough! Likewise, so has everyone else!’ Trump said opening the Strait would bring about a ‘Golden Age’ by reestablishing crucial trading routes and repairing any economic setbacks.

‘The United States of America will be helping with the traffic buildup in the Strait of Hormuz,’ Trump said. ‘There will be lots of positive action! Big money will be made.’ The president gave Iran a two-week deadline to negotiate a final truce – but warned the US military would remain engaged.