After weeks of intense bombing as part of Operation Epic Fury, launched at the end of February by the United States and Israel against Iran, President Donald Trump announced on the night of Tuesday, April 7, a two-week ceasefire, which came into effect immediately, conditional on the safe reopening of the Strait of Hormuz for commercial transit.
During the morning of this Tuesday, Trump had given a dramatic ultimatum with a deadline of 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time (00:00 GMT on Wednesday, April 8, 8 p.m. in Venezuela). He threatened to destroy bridges, power plants and other Iranian civilian infrastructure within hours, going so far as to warn that “an entire civilization will die tonight and never rise again” if Iran did not agree to reopen the strait and meet other demands.
The main objective was to force an end to the de facto blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, vital to global oil supplies, which Iran had imposed or restricted in response to the attacks.
What happened last night?
Hours before the deadline expired, an agreement mediated by Pakistan was reached. Both sides agreed to a two-week pause in attacks. Iran pledged to allow commercial ships safe passage through the strait, and the US/Israel suspended bombing.
Formal negotiations would begin this Friday in Islamabad to discuss a 10-point Iranian plan and a possible lasting agreement. The announcement represented a last-minute retreat by Trump from his most extreme threats.
What the United States says
Secretary of Defense (called Secretary of War in some contexts), Pete Hegseth, declared Wednesday that the operation was a “historic and overwhelming victory.”
In his words, “Operation ‘Epic Fury’ was a historic and overwhelming victory on the battlefield, a major military victory, by any measure. ‘Epic Fury’ decimated Iran’s army and left it inoperative for combat for years to come.”
Hegseth noted that, in less than 40 days and using less than 10% of total US combat power, Central Command dismantled one of the largest militaries in the world, destroying missile arsenals, naval facilities, production bases and nuclear capabilities. He claimed that Iran was left “inoperative” in the long term.
What Iran says
Iran has presented a narrative of resistance and accepted the ceasefire as a pause to negotiate a definitive end to the war. Iranian officials, including President Masoud Pezeshkian, have called the attacks unjustified aggression and defended their responses (missile launches against Israel and US bases in the region) as legitimate self-defense.
Tehran insists it is seeking guarantees of future non-aggression and the lifting of sanctions. Some Iranian spokesmen have shown a defiant tone, although the agreement implies concessions such as the reopening of the strait.
Who won?
The US and Israel claim a decisive military victory. Hegseth and the Trump administration speak of having “decimated” Iranian capabilities and achieved the main objectives (weaken the nuclear and missile program, and force the reopening of the strait).
Iran does not recognize defeat and presents the ceasefire as a diplomatic achievement that prevents further destruction and opens the door to negotiations on its terms (permanent end to hostilities and sanctions).
Independent analysts point out that both sides claim partial victories: the US for the damage inflicted, Iran for having resisted and forced a negotiation.
The ceasefire is temporary and fragile. The talks in Islamabad will be key to determining whether peace is consolidated or the conflict resumes. The crisis has caused major global economic disruptions, with skyrocketing oil prices and elevated regional tensions.
With information from international news agencies
