STORY: HEGSETH: "Operation Epic Fury was a historic and overwhelming victory on the battlefield."

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth declared a decisive military victory after the United States and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire, saying Tehran had no option but to strike a deal. 

HEGSETH: "What has been agreed to, what's been stated, is the Strait is open."

But Hegseth said American troops would remain in the region and that they stood ready to resume fighting if Iran failed to reach a negotiated settlement.

HEGSETH: "Yeah, we'll be hanging around. We're not going anywhere. We're going to make sure Iran complies with the ceasefire, and that ultimately comes to the table and makes a deal."

Jessica Genau­er, an expert in international conflict at Australia's University of New South Wales, said the ceasefire is very fragile.

GENAUER: "It still remains to be seen whether President Trump will at some stage decide that he does want to go for some kind of escalation in terms of boots on the ground. I wouldn't rule that out unless we actually see those U.S. Marines withdrawn from the region. And then I would say, okay, we're now looking at a much sort of longer term and sustainable ceasefire."

HEGSETH: "Iran's letting ships go through. So that will be happening. They will be sailing."

Iran, which also claimed victory after agreeing to the ceasefire, said it would offer safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz in coordination with its armed forces.

But the Iranian navy warned that any ship attempting to sail without permission would be (quote) "targeted and destroyed."

Top U.S. general Dan Caine said the U.S. had sunk approximately 90% of Iran's regular naval fleet and destroyed most of its air defense systems and weapons factories.

But experts say the broader strategic objectives do not appear to have been met since the Iranian regime largely remains intact and Tehran may be more emboldened going forward.

Meanwhile fighting still raged across the region Wednesday, as Israel launched its biggest attacks yet on Lebanon, and Iran struck Gulf neighbors' oil facilities.