U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has claimed that Iran urgently sought a ceasefire agreement ahead of a deadline issued by President Donald Trump, following what he described as overwhelming U.S. military action.

Speaking during a Wednesday morning press conference, Hegseth praised Trump’s leadership, stating:

“No other president has shown the courage and resolve of this commander-in-chief. President Trump forged this moment. Iran begged for this ceasefire, and we all know it.”

According to Hegseth, the United States launched more than 800 strikes on Iranian targets overnight, operations he said “completely destroyed” Iran’s defense industrial base. He further claimed that Iran’s missile program had been “functionally destroyed,” its navy “at the bottom of the sea,” and its air force “wiped out,” adding: “We own their skies.”

Hegseth warned that if Iran had rejected the proposed two-week ceasefire, the U.S. was prepared to escalate further. Potential targets, he said, included critical infrastructure such as power plants, bridges, and oil and energy facilities—assets he argued Iran would have been unable to defend or rebuild for decades.

He also alleged that Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, recognized the severity of the situation and chose diplomacy over continued conflict. Hegseth claimed the leader is “wounded and disfigured,” and described the current Iranian leadership as “out of options and out of time.”

“This new regime cut a deal because they understood the alternative,” Hegseth said. “Under this agreement, Iran will never possess a nuclear weapon, and any unauthorized nuclear material will be removed.”

Hegseth also emphasized that U.S. military presence in the region would remain: “We will be hanging around. Not going anywhere.”

Earlier, Trump posted on his Truth Social platform that the United States would “work closely with Iran” following what he described as a “very productive” regime change. He added that the agreement would ensure “no enrichment or uranium.”