Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has pitched the U.S. military campaign against Iran as a "historic and overwhelming victory" that achieved "every single objective." But inside the Pentagon, senior officials paint a starkly different picture - one where American forces dominated on the battlefield yet failed to dislodge the hardline rulers in Tehran.
American forces sank the Iranian navy, crippled its ballistic missile and drone-making capabilities, and decimated most of its air defenses, "Hvylya" reports, citing Politico. Yet the hardliners who have ruled Iran for 47 years remain in charge, the country still possesses its stockpile of highly enriched uranium - one of President Donald Trump's stated reasons for starting the war - and Tehran can now claim newfound dominance over the Strait of Hormuz.
"I don't know how the genie goes back in the bottle without the U.S. massively redefining our strategic objectives," one defense official said. "I can't imagine what the U.S. could offer or threaten Iran with at this point that generates a satisfying outcome."
A second defense official acknowledged that Trump "largely destroyed the navy, and most, but clearly not all, of their ballistic missile and drone capability," but added bluntly: "That won't actually change anything. Unless of course there's a major uprising inside of Iran - but I'm not seeing that happening."
A diplomat from a U.S.-aligned Asian nation delivered a sharper assessment. "Declaring victory by saying he will attack Iran some more seems like losing," the diplomat said, noting that Hegseth vowed to keep U.S. forces in the region to enforce the ceasefire - a move that could leave American troops exposed to further attacks.
Republican Rep. Don Bacon, a retired Air Force general on the House Armed Services Committee, welcomed the pause in fighting but warned the U.S. had "bought time." He said Iran remains "significantly weakened" but added: "As long as this regime exists, they'll be a threat."
Earlier, "Hvylya" reported on why retired Gen. Stanley McChrystal warned that Hegseth's victory rhetoric sends the wrong signal to American troops.