US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is set to hold a news conference on Thursday to offer a fresh assessment of strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, following a stinging row over how much American bombardment set back Tehran’s nuclear program.

“They fought very, very hard and very viciously, very violently, and they were both satisfied to go home and get out,” said Trump.

Lebanese armed group Hezbollah on Wednesday hailed what it called its ally Iran’s victory over Israel after 12 days of war, declaring it the start of a “new historical phase”.

“They’re not going to be building bombs for a long time,” said Trump, adding that the strikes had set back the programme by “decades” and that the Iran-Israel ceasefire that he declared was going “very well”.

“I believe we have delivered a significant hit to the nuclear programme, and I can also say that we have delayed it by several years,” he said.