Reactions and statements from the international community
On Wednesday, April 19, Pete Hegseth, the U.S. Secretary of War, declared the "Epic Wrath" operation against the Islamic Republic "completely successful" at a Pentagon press conference, stating that the Iranian regime had requested a ceasefire.
On Wednesday, the U.S. Secretary of Defense announced that the United States' military operations against Iran have "completely" dismantled the country's capability to produce missiles and advanced weapons. The statement came during a press conference where Pete Hegseth also revealed a recently agreed two-week ceasefire, following the "change of government" in Iran after the deaths of Ali Khamenei and other high-ranking officials.
Shipping has resumed in the Strait of Hormuz following a ceasefire announcement, with the first vessels crossing the strait, where 426 tankers and dozens of LNG carriers remain after recent disruptions.
At the Pentagon, Trump and his Secretary of War Pete Hegseth held a press conference following a ceasefire with Iran, where Hegseth declared Iran's military suffered a "devastating defeat" after the U.S. conducted over 800 strikes that "completely destroyed" Iran's defensive industry, leaving its command and control severely compromised.
On Wednesday, U.S. President Donald Trump announced a temporary ceasefire between the United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran, stating that the U.S. will cooperate with Iran to extract nuclear dust and monitor uranium enrichment activities closely. Trump also indicated that the U.S. will engage in talks with Iran on tariffs and sanctions reduction, noting significant progress on many desired clauses.
On January 19, 2026, President Donald Trump announced that the United States will work closely with the new regime in Iran to dismantle its nuclear program, remove buried nuclear materials, and lift tariffs and sanctions contingent on Iran's compliance with 15 agreed points. Trump also threatened a 50% tariff on any country supplying military weapons to Iran, with no exceptions.
On Truth Social, former U.S. President Donald Trump announced that the United States will cooperate closely with Iran following a successful regime change, including the extraction of nuclear materials buried by U.S. military operations. The U.S. is negotiating tariff reductions and sanctions relief with Iran, with many agreement clauses already agreed upon.
Iranian dissident @iranidaturan calls on the EU to demand accountability from Iran, urging the expulsion of Iranian diplomats, designation of the IRGC as terrorists, recognition of HRH @PahlaviReza, and cessation of legitimizing the Islamist regime.
Iran conducted a nuclear weapons test in the Strait of Hormuz. Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev commented on the temporary ceasefire between Iran and the United States.
American military operations against the Islamic Republic regime in Iran began in January 2026, coinciding with ongoing protests and violence within the country. The start of these US airstrikes drew criticism from anti-war activists who had previously focused on internal Iranian political factions.
On April 19, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates announced they were countering missile and drone attacks from Iran, with Kuwait intercepting 28 drones targeting critical infrastructure, causing extensive material damage. Meanwhile, Iran reported that its Lavan Island oil facilities were attacked early Wednesday morning, resulting in no casualties but causing fires and damage to the facilities.
Since the ceasefire took effect, two ships—the bulk carrier NJ Earth departing from Bushehr and the bulk carrier Daytona Beach from Bandar Abbas—have passed through the Strait of Hormuz, following routes through waters controlled by Iran. Ship tracking data shows that 11 passages occurred the previous day, with hundreds of ships, including 426 tankers, 34 LPG carriers, and 19 LNG carriers, remaining in the area.
