The chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff welcomed the temporary ceasefire with Iran on Wednesday, but warned that American forces remained ready to resume combat operations if directed.
Gen. Dan Caine said the US forces had flown more than 10,000 missions and struck over 13,000 targets in Iran throughout the campaign.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Iran no longer possessed a functioning air defense system, stating bluntly: “We own their skies.”
He added that had Iran rejected US terms, the next wave of strikes would have targeted power plants, bridges and oil and energy infrastructure that Tehran “could not defend.”
Hegseth said the new deal ensured Iran “will never, ever possess a nuclear weapon,” with all nuclear material to be removed from the country.
The two-week ceasefire came after the US and Israel launched a joint offensive on Iran on Feb. 28, killing more than 1,340 people, including then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Iran retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel as well as Jordan, Iraq and Gulf countries hosting US military assets.
Tehran also restricted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, which it has agreed to reopen as part of the ceasefire deal.
