Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth took the podium Thursday morning alongside the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs and CENTCOM Commander Admiral Bradley Cooper to give Americans a fresh look at where things stand with Operation Epic Fury – the military campaign targeting Iran’s nuclear program.
The bottom line: the naval blockade is holding, and officials are now urging Iran’s new leadership to take a deal before the bombs start falling again.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth opened the briefing with a message aimed directly at Iran’s military leaders, warning that American forces are growing stronger while Iran continues to dig out from the rubble of a devastating air campaign. “You are digging out your remaining launchers and missiles with no ability to replace them,” Hegseth said. “You have no defense industry, no ability to replenish your offensive or defensive capabilities.”
Pete Hegseth made it clear that the ongoing blockade is the better choice right now, but he didn’t sugarcoat the alternative. “We are locked and loaded on your critical dual-use infrastructure, on your remaining power generation, and on your energy industry,” he said. “We’d rather not have to do it, but we’re ready to go at the command of our President.”
Specifically regarding the Strait of Hormuz, Hegseth pushed back against Iranian claims of control over the waters. “You like to say publicly, Iran, that you control the Strait of Hormuz, but you don’t have a navy or real domain awareness,” he added, noting the U.S. is executing the blockade “with less than 10% of America’s naval power.”
Joint Chiefs Chairman General Dan Caine provided follow-up operational details on the blockade, a mission that formally began to take shape on Monday, April 13. The blockade applies to all types of ships regardless of nationality heading into or out of Iranian ports – not a shutdown of the strait itself, but a crackdown in Iran’s territorial waters.
Cain described the warnings issued by U.S. Navy sailors to would-be blockade runners: “Do not attempt to breach the blockade. Vessels will be reported for interdiction and seizure transiting to or from Iranian ports, turn around, or prepare to be boarded.”
So far, the blockade seems to be effective. Thirteen ships have turned back without a single boarding action being required, according to Cain, who added that over 10,000 sailors, marines, and airmen across more than a dozen ships have been working on the mission. He praised the young crews on Arleigh Burke–class destroyers, pointing out that 18- and 19-year-olds are currently steering warships through one of the world’s busiest waterways.
CENTCOM Commander Admiral Bradley Cooper, who returned from his second trip to the region in 15 days, described troop morale as exceptional across more than 70 “operating locations.” The Commander also said that he personally recognized over 100 service members for valor during his visits. “These are motivated young men and women,” Cooper said.
Cooper said U.S. forces are using the cease-fire to get sharper, rearming, retooling, and adjusting how they operate. He added that they’ve repurposed Iranian-designed drones—taking them apart, rebuilding them with American parts, and sending them back toward Iran.
On the alliance side, Admiral Cooper gave a shout-out to the Gulf partners — Bahrain, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, and Jordan — as well as Israel. He described the joint air campaign as a true landmark achievement, saying, “Together, the four best air forces in the world, the Israeli Air Force, the US Air Force, and the air forces of the US Navy and US Marine Corps, together met and exceeded our own military objectives over and over again.”
When asked about reports of China preparing weapons shipments to Iran during the cease-fire, Hegseth said President Trump and President Xi have already spoken directly on the matter. A deal that, if it does not fall through, would be a landmark achievement and break a pattern going back 40 years of China supplying Iran with weapons.
“China has assured us that that indeed is not going to happen,” Hegseth said.
The Department of War closed with a unified message: a diplomatic deal remains within reach, but the U.S. military is fully prepared to resume combat operations on a moment’s notice should Iran’s new government fail to negotiate in good faith.
“The War Department will ensure that Iran never has a nuclear weapon, never,” Hegseth added. “We prefer to do it the nice way, through a deal – or we can do it the hard way.”