Just hours after Donald Trump announced a two-week ceasefire, missiles and drones were still flying. Iran, the UAE, and Kuwait all reported attacks.
The timing was not ideal. Pete Hegseth had barely finished celebrating the deal when a reporter pointed out the obvious. Ballistic missiles were still in the air.
He did not take it well.
“Excuse me. Why are you so rude? Just wait, I am calling on people,” Hegseth said, wheeling around to face her. He took the next question, glanced back at her, and muttered “nasty” just loud enough for his microphone to catch it.
REPORTER: They’re still firing ballistic missiles!
HEGSETH: Excuse me. Why are you so rude? Just wait. So nasty. pic.twitter.com/56FhaaY5mW
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 8, 2026
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The ceasefire explanation came next. Hegseth said these things take time. Orders need to reach troops. Communication is complicated. Then he added this. “Iran would be wise to find a way to get the carrier pigeon to their troops in remote locations.”
The rest of the briefing stayed on script.
Hegseth called the operation a complete success. Every objective met. Every target handled. Iran, he said, is out of options. “Iran begged for this ceasefire, and we all know it.” He went further, claiming missile factories were destroyed, drone production wiped out, launch systems eliminated, and a long list of Iranian leaders killed, calling it a total victory.
“Operation Epic Fury was a historic and overwhelming victory on the battlefield.” Standing next to him, Gen. Dan Caine welcomed the ceasefire while noting the U.S. is ready to keep fighting if needed. Just in case the pigeons don’t arrive.
On nuclear weapons, there was no gray area. Iran will give up its enriched uranium, or the U.S. will take it. Iran has already said no. That leaves two weeks to figure it out.
Iran’s peace plan calls for ending hostilities, keeping its enrichment program, lifting sanctions, and a U.S. withdrawal from the region. The U.S. position runs counter to every single one of those demands.
Benjamin Netanyahu said he supports the ceasefire, but it does not extend to Lebanon, where the war with Hezbollah continues.
The ceasefire was announced Tuesday night, just before Trump’s 8 p.m. deadline. Hours earlier, Trump had threatened to destroy Iranian power plants, bridges, and oil infrastructure. “If Iran refused our terms, we were locked and loaded,” Hegseth said. “President Trump chose mercy.”
Featured image via X screengrab
