Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (L) looks on as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine speaks during a press briefing at the Pentagon in Washington on March 31, 2026. Oliver Contreras/AFP via Getty Images
Department of War Secretary Pete Hegseth on Wednesday morning declared the United States won a “decisive military victory” over Iran, coming hours after President Donald Trump announced a two-week cease-fire to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Hegseth’s comment during a Pentagon news conference came after more than a month of U.S.–Israeli strikes on targets inside Iran, and as Tehran responded by firing rockets and drones at nearby countries. Iran also had been attacking civilian ships in the strait, a strategic waterway that usually carries around a fifth of the world’s oil, prompting a surge in energy prices.
