US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth issued a sweeping statement declaring the historic end of the decades-long confrontation with the Islamic Republic. According to the Secretary of Defense, American forces have achieved a crushing and decisive victory that has fundamentally altered the balance of power in the Middle East. Hegseth emphasized that the intense military campaign of recent days has led to a situation where official Tehran has been forced to essentially beg for an immediate ceasefire, realizing the futility of further resistance under massive precision-guided strikes. The Secretary noted that the Iranian threat, which has dominated the region for forty-seven years, is now a thing of the past and no longer poses a threat to US interests and those of its allies in the foreseeable future.

In his speech, the Pentagon chief focused on the current state of Iran's defense capabilities and nuclear infrastructure. According to US military commanders, Iran's strategic program has been effectively destroyed, and key military facilities have been rendered inoperable for the long term. Hegseth added that the United States has now established complete and unconditional control over Iranian airspace, allowing coalition forces to thwart any attempts to restore the country's aggressive potential. This campaign was hailed as a historic triumph of American weapons and intelligence, demonstrating Washington's technological superiority in a modern, high-intensity conflict.