WEBVTT 00:05.539 --> 00:06.539 You . 00:10.520 --> 00:14.399 Good morning . I'll start as we often 00:14.399 --> 00:16.510 do here at the Department of War with 00:16.510 --> 00:18.677 the bottom line up front for the world 00:18.677 --> 00:21.909 to hear and the press to actually admit . 00:22.739 --> 00:24.795 That the United States is decimating 00:24.795 --> 00:26.906 the radical Iranian regime's military 00:26.906 --> 00:29.020 in a way the world has never seen 00:29.020 --> 00:32.000 before . Never before has a modern , 00:32.299 --> 00:35.619 capable military , which Iran used to 00:35.619 --> 00:38.819 have been so quickly destroyed and made 00:38.819 --> 00:42.270 combat ineffective , devastated . We 00:42.270 --> 00:44.381 said it would not be a fair fight and 00:44.381 --> 00:46.437 it has not been . As I stated during 00:46.437 --> 00:48.770 our first press conference on day 2 , 00:48.819 --> 00:51.569 that was 10 short days ago . The 00:51.569 --> 00:53.569 combination of the world's two most 00:53.569 --> 00:56.400 powerful air forces is unprecedented 00:56.400 --> 00:59.509 and unbeatable . Between our air force 00:59.509 --> 01:02.830 and that of the Israelis , over 15,000 01:02.830 --> 01:05.052 enemy targets have been struck . That's 01:05.052 --> 01:07.709 well over 1000 a day . No other 01:07.709 --> 01:10.150 combination of countries in the world 01:10.150 --> 01:13.470 can do that . So today as we speak , we 01:13.470 --> 01:17.059 fly over the top . Of Iran and 01:17.059 --> 01:20.400 Tehran fighters and bombers all day 01:20.620 --> 01:24.180 picking targets as they choose as our 01:24.180 --> 01:26.860 intelligence gets better and better and 01:26.860 --> 01:30.199 more refined looking up . The 01:30.199 --> 01:33.500 IRGC and Iranian regime . Sees only two 01:33.500 --> 01:36.150 things on the side of aircraft . The 01:36.150 --> 01:39.300 Stars and stripes And the Star of David . 01:40.199 --> 01:43.339 The evil regime's worst nightmare . 01:44.620 --> 01:47.379 Iran has no air defenses . Iran has no 01:47.379 --> 01:50.639 air force . Iran has no navy . Their 01:50.639 --> 01:52.806 missiles , their missile launchers and 01:52.806 --> 01:54.917 drones being destroyed or shot out of 01:54.917 --> 01:57.083 the sky . Their missile volume is down 01:57.083 --> 01:59.769 90% . Their one-way attack drones 01:59.769 --> 02:02.800 yesterday down 95% . 02:03.800 --> 02:05.911 And as the world is seeing , they are 02:05.911 --> 02:08.210 exercising sheer desperation in the 02:08.210 --> 02:11.779 Straits of Hormuz . Something we're 02:11.779 --> 02:13.779 dealing with . We have been dealing 02:13.779 --> 02:16.001 with it and . Don't need to worry about 02:16.001 --> 02:17.835 it . We're on a plan to defeat , 02:17.835 --> 02:20.289 destroy , disable all of their 02:20.289 --> 02:22.529 meaningful military capabilities at a 02:22.529 --> 02:25.919 pace . The world has never seen before . 02:27.250 --> 02:29.250 But it's not just that Iran doesn't 02:29.250 --> 02:31.649 have a functioning air force . Or that 02:31.649 --> 02:33.760 their entire navy is at the bottom of 02:33.760 --> 02:35.982 the Persian Gulf or their missile force 02:35.982 --> 02:38.470 is shrinking daily . Even more 02:38.470 --> 02:40.669 importantly , they also don't have the 02:40.669 --> 02:42.910 ability to build more . That's the most 02:42.910 --> 02:44.710 important component I'd like to 02:44.710 --> 02:48.649 emphasize today . Soon and very soon 02:48.649 --> 02:51.919 all of Iran's defense companies . Will 02:51.919 --> 02:54.080 be destroyed . For example , as of 2 02:54.080 --> 02:56.059 days ago , Iran's entire ballistic 02:56.059 --> 02:58.330 ballistic missile production capacity , 02:58.759 --> 03:00.537 every company that builds every 03:00.537 --> 03:02.592 component of those missiles has been 03:02.592 --> 03:04.592 functionally defeated , destroyed . 03:04.649 --> 03:06.669 Buildings , complexes , and factory 03:06.669 --> 03:10.110 lines all across Iran destroyed , so 03:10.110 --> 03:12.332 we're shooting down and destroying what 03:12.332 --> 03:14.589 missiles they still have in stock , but 03:14.589 --> 03:16.700 more importantly , ensuring that they 03:16.700 --> 03:20.580 have no ability to make more . Their 03:20.580 --> 03:22.619 production lines , their military 03:22.619 --> 03:25.020 plants , their defense innovation 03:25.020 --> 03:28.809 centers defeated . Iran's leadership 03:29.270 --> 03:31.750 is in no better shape . Desperate and 03:31.750 --> 03:33.750 hiding , they've gone underground , 03:34.190 --> 03:37.110 cowering . That's what rats do . 03:38.119 --> 03:40.479 We know the new so-called not so 03:40.479 --> 03:43.949 supreme leader is wounded . And likely 03:43.949 --> 03:46.570 disfigured He put out a statement 03:46.570 --> 03:48.792 yesterday , a , a weak one , actually . 03:49.089 --> 03:51.460 But there was no voice and there was no 03:51.460 --> 03:54.779 video . It was a written statement . He 03:54.779 --> 03:57.300 called for unity . Apparently killing 03:57.300 --> 03:59.580 tens of thousands of protesters is his 03:59.580 --> 04:02.940 kind of unity . Iran has plenty of 04:02.940 --> 04:05.162 cameras and plenty of voice recorders . 04:05.162 --> 04:07.750 Why a written statement ? I think you 04:07.750 --> 04:11.679 know why . His father dead . He's 04:11.679 --> 04:13.901 scared , he's injured , he's on the run 04:13.901 --> 04:16.160 and he lacks legitimacy . It's a mess 04:16.170 --> 04:19.739 for them . Who's in charge ? Iran may 04:19.739 --> 04:23.389 not even know . With every passing hour 04:23.389 --> 04:26.739 we know and we know they know . That 04:26.739 --> 04:28.961 the military capabilities of their evil 04:28.961 --> 04:31.128 regime are crumbling . They can barely 04:31.128 --> 04:33.183 communicate , let alone coordinate . 04:33.183 --> 04:35.406 They're confused , and we know it . Our 04:35.406 --> 04:38.179 response , we will keep pressing , we 04:38.179 --> 04:40.859 will keep pushing , keep advancing , no 04:40.859 --> 04:44.549 quarter , no mercy for our enemies . 04:45.839 --> 04:48.679 Yet some in this crew in the press just 04:48.679 --> 04:51.809 can't stop . Allow me to make a few 04:51.809 --> 04:54.640 suggestions . People look up at the TV 04:54.640 --> 04:56.480 and they see banners , they see 04:56.480 --> 04:58.536 headlines . I , I used to be in that 04:58.536 --> 05:00.702 business and I know that everything is 05:00.702 --> 05:03.510 written intentionally . For example , a 05:03.510 --> 05:05.859 banner or a headline Mideast war 05:05.859 --> 05:07.980 intensifies , splashing on the screen 05:08.399 --> 05:10.288 the last couple of days alongside 05:10.288 --> 05:12.559 visuals of civilian or energy targets 05:12.559 --> 05:14.799 that Iran has hit because that's what 05:14.799 --> 05:18.149 they do . What should the banner read 05:18.149 --> 05:21.089 instead ? How about Iran increasingly 05:21.269 --> 05:24.309 desperate because they are . They know 05:24.309 --> 05:27.359 it and so do you . If it can be 05:27.359 --> 05:31.290 admitted . Or more fake news from CNN . 05:32.059 --> 05:34.170 Reports that the Trump administration 05:34.170 --> 05:36.392 underestimated the Iran war's impact on 05:36.392 --> 05:38.809 the Strait of Hormuz . Patently 05:38.970 --> 05:41.230 ridiculous , of course . For decades , 05:41.269 --> 05:43.269 Iran has threatened shipping in the 05:43.269 --> 05:45.436 Strait of Hormuz . This is always what 05:45.436 --> 05:49.140 they do , hold the Strait hostage . CNN 05:49.140 --> 05:51.720 doesn't think we thought of that . It's 05:51.720 --> 05:54.959 a fundamentally unserious report . The 05:54.959 --> 05:57.399 sooner David Ellison takes over that 05:57.399 --> 06:00.809 network , the better . Another 06:00.809 --> 06:03.640 example of a fake headline that I saw 06:03.640 --> 06:06.959 yesterday , war widening . Here's a 06:06.959 --> 06:08.959 real headline for you for an actual 06:09.119 --> 06:11.660 patriotic press . How about Iran 06:11.660 --> 06:14.359 shrinking , going underground . So , 06:14.519 --> 06:16.686 you see , Iran's leaders are hiding in 06:16.686 --> 06:18.963 bunkers and moving into civilian areas . 06:18.963 --> 06:21.309 The only thing that is widening . Is 06:21.309 --> 06:24.429 our advantage Not to mention our golf 06:24.429 --> 06:26.373 partners stepping up even more now 06:26.373 --> 06:29.070 going on the offense and have always 06:29.070 --> 06:30.903 been with us on the defense with 06:30.903 --> 06:33.630 collective and integrated air defenses . 06:35.299 --> 06:38.660 Our will It is unshakeable 06:39.070 --> 06:41.809 our options . Maximized and our 06:41.809 --> 06:44.690 capabilities still building , we're 06:44.690 --> 06:48.540 going up . They're going down As I 06:48.540 --> 06:50.651 said from the start , President Trump 06:50.739 --> 06:53.350 holds the cards . He'll determine the 06:53.350 --> 06:55.406 pace , the tempo , and the timing of 06:55.406 --> 06:57.980 this conflict . His hand firmly on the 06:57.980 --> 07:00.809 wheel . As well as on the throttle 07:00.809 --> 07:03.529 setting . America first , peace through 07:03.529 --> 07:07.420 strength in action . From day one , as 07:07.420 --> 07:09.476 our nation expects and the president 07:09.476 --> 07:11.698 demands , our warriors have fought with 07:11.698 --> 07:13.587 lethality , precision , and rapid 07:13.587 --> 07:15.980 innovation . In fact , today will be 07:15.980 --> 07:18.700 yet again the highest volume of strikes 07:18.700 --> 07:20.867 that America has put over the skies of 07:20.867 --> 07:23.089 Iran and Tehran . The number of sorties 07:23.089 --> 07:24.978 and number of bomber pulses , the 07:24.978 --> 07:27.144 highest yet , ramping up and only up . 07:28.350 --> 07:30.461 And quantity has a quality of its own 07:30.670 --> 07:32.837 as we continue to ramp up . Every tool 07:32.837 --> 07:35.070 of AI of cyber , of space , EW , 07:35.429 --> 07:37.318 counter UAS , you name it , we're 07:37.318 --> 07:39.850 employing it , blinding , confusing , 07:40.109 --> 07:44.109 and deceiving our enemy . Because we 07:44.109 --> 07:46.880 know who the good guys are here . And 07:46.880 --> 07:49.489 the American people do too . And that 07:49.489 --> 07:52.839 makes my job simple . I serve God 07:53.609 --> 07:55.609 The troops , the country , the 07:55.609 --> 07:57.831 Constitution , and the President of the 07:57.831 --> 08:00.489 United States and answer only to those . 08:01.399 --> 08:03.880 All in service of victory on the 08:03.880 --> 08:06.102 battlefield and the military objectives 08:06.102 --> 08:09.359 that we've laid out from day one defeat 08:09.359 --> 08:11.526 the missiles , missile launchers , and 08:11.526 --> 08:13.581 defense industrial base which I laid 08:13.581 --> 08:16.559 out today , defeat the navy and deny 08:16.559 --> 08:18.503 Iran the ability to have a nuclear 08:18.503 --> 08:21.880 weapon . Clear , decisive , achievable . 08:23.000 --> 08:25.200 And Admiral Cooper knows , the CECOM 08:25.200 --> 08:27.144 commander who we spent a couple of 08:27.144 --> 08:29.367 hours with last night . That in pursuit 08:29.367 --> 08:31.589 of those objectives we have his back in 08:31.589 --> 08:34.210 every way . His commanders know that 08:34.349 --> 08:36.405 and so do the troops in harm's way . 08:36.405 --> 08:38.516 Admiral Cooper gets what he needs the 08:38.516 --> 08:40.238 assets , the authorities , the 08:40.238 --> 08:42.510 munitions , you name it , we will stop 08:42.510 --> 08:45.960 at nothing to win . War is hell . 08:47.250 --> 08:50.349 War is chaos . And as we saw yesterday 08:50.349 --> 08:52.710 with the tragic crash of our KC-135 08:52.710 --> 08:56.380 tanker . Um , Bad things can happen . 08:57.409 --> 08:59.760 American heroes . All of them . 09:00.869 --> 09:03.320 And as I have with all of them , as we 09:03.320 --> 09:05.799 have , we will greet those heroes at 09:05.799 --> 09:08.080 Dover and their sacrifice will only 09:08.080 --> 09:10.024 recommit us to the resolve of this 09:10.024 --> 09:13.659 mission . But war in this context and 09:13.659 --> 09:16.710 in pursuit of peace . It is necessary , 09:17.080 --> 09:19.302 which is why each day on bended knee we 09:19.302 --> 09:21.191 continue to appeal to heaven . To 09:21.191 --> 09:23.413 Almighty God's providence to watch over 09:23.413 --> 09:25.524 and give special skill and confidence 09:25.524 --> 09:28.729 to our leaders and to our warriors . To 09:28.729 --> 09:31.450 those warriors who this nation prays 09:31.450 --> 09:33.617 for every single day , I hear from all 09:33.617 --> 09:35.561 of you out there who pray for them 09:35.561 --> 09:37.570 every day , stay on bended knee and 09:37.570 --> 09:40.010 pray for them . I continued to say to 09:40.010 --> 09:42.450 them , Godspeed . May the Lord bless 09:42.450 --> 09:45.549 you and keep you . And keep going . Mr . 09:45.679 --> 09:48.012 Chairman , over to you . Thank you , Mr . 09:48.012 --> 09:50.123 Secretary , and good morning , ladies 09:50.123 --> 09:50.109 and gentlemen , and thank you for 09:50.109 --> 09:52.276 joining us today . Uh , before I start 09:52.276 --> 09:54.498 with an update , I also want to address 09:54.498 --> 09:57.750 the tragic loss of our KC-135 refueling 09:57.750 --> 09:59.909 aircraft yesterday . The incident 09:59.909 --> 10:01.909 occurred over friendly territory in 10:01.909 --> 10:03.965 western Iraq while the crew was on a 10:03.965 --> 10:06.109 combat mission and again was not the 10:06.109 --> 10:08.276 result , as CEO has said , was not the 10:08.276 --> 10:10.331 result of hostile or friendly fire . 10:10.539 --> 10:12.706 We're still treating this as an active 10:12.706 --> 10:14.659 rescue and recovery operation . As 10:14.659 --> 10:16.603 CENTCOM announced this morning , 4 10:16.603 --> 10:18.659 airmen have been recovered , and the 10:18.659 --> 10:20.770 Air Force and US Central Command will 10:20.770 --> 10:22.937 provide updates as information becomes 10:22.937 --> 10:24.937 available . Please keep these brave 10:24.937 --> 10:27.159 airmen , their families , friends , and 10:27.159 --> 10:29.215 units in your thoughts in the coming 10:29.215 --> 10:31.690 hours and days . Our service members 10:31.700 --> 10:33.979 make an incredible sacrifice to go 10:33.979 --> 10:35.923 forward and do the things that the 10:35.923 --> 10:38.035 nation asks of them . It's a reminder 10:38.035 --> 10:40.201 of the true cost of the dedication and 10:40.201 --> 10:42.549 commitment of the joint force . We're 10:42.549 --> 10:44.869 also aware of a fire on board the USS 10:44.869 --> 10:47.036 Gerald R . Ford . We're thinking about 10:47.036 --> 10:49.202 the crew there who were injured in the 10:49.202 --> 10:50.980 fire . We believe and hope that 10:50.980 --> 10:52.758 everyone will be OK , and we're 10:52.758 --> 10:54.980 grateful for that . And for any further 10:54.980 --> 10:57.091 questions on that , we'd refer you to 10:57.091 --> 10:58.980 NASA , uh , or to the Navy . This 10:58.980 --> 11:00.880 morning we enter the 13th day of 11:00.880 --> 11:03.239 Operation Epic Fury and we continue to 11:03.239 --> 11:05.183 make progress towards our military 11:05.183 --> 11:07.239 objectives . As the Secretary said , 11:07.239 --> 11:09.128 today will be our heaviest day of 11:09.128 --> 11:11.461 kinetic fires across the operating area . 11:11.461 --> 11:13.572 CENTCOM continues to attack ballistic 11:13.572 --> 11:15.739 missile and drone capabilities so that 11:15.739 --> 11:17.628 they are no longer a threat to US 11:17.628 --> 11:19.795 forces , our bases , or our partners . 11:20.320 --> 11:22.209 They're continuing to destroy the 11:22.209 --> 11:24.098 Iranian navy to ensure freedom of 11:24.098 --> 11:27.169 navigation . And this means going after 11:27.169 --> 11:29.090 Iran's mine laying capability and 11:29.090 --> 11:31.034 destroying their ability to attack 11:31.034 --> 11:33.010 commercial vessels , and we're 11:33.010 --> 11:35.232 targeting their defense industrial base 11:35.232 --> 11:37.650 so they cannot rebuild the capabilities 11:37.650 --> 11:40.690 that can harm America's interests or 11:40.690 --> 11:43.479 our partners in the future . As Admiral 11:43.479 --> 11:46.239 Cooper said in his update on Wednesday , 11:46.440 --> 11:48.760 Iranian combat power continues to 11:48.760 --> 11:51.359 decline as a result of the continued 11:51.359 --> 11:53.692 strikes , as the Secretary talked about . 11:53.919 --> 11:56.086 We've attacked over 6000 targets , and 11:56.086 --> 11:58.400 our strike packages continue to launch 11:58.400 --> 12:00.710 every hour , and we've maintained an 12:00.710 --> 12:03.520 unprecedented number of sorties up 12:03.520 --> 12:06.669 overhead of Iran . CENTCOM is now 12:06.669 --> 12:09.150 persistently over the enemy , and as a 12:09.150 --> 12:11.039 result we've seen a reduction in 12:11.039 --> 12:13.150 missile and one-way attack fires , as 12:13.150 --> 12:15.390 the Secretary said . In less than 2 12:15.390 --> 12:17.501 weeks we've rendered the Iranian navy 12:17.501 --> 12:19.950 combat ineffective and continued to 12:19.950 --> 12:22.909 attack naval vessels , including all of 12:22.909 --> 12:24.965 their Soleimani class warships which 12:24.965 --> 12:27.131 were armed with anti-ship missiles and 12:27.131 --> 12:29.390 anti-aircraft weapons . We've made 12:29.390 --> 12:31.279 progress , but Iran still has the 12:31.279 --> 12:33.446 capability to harm friendly forces and 12:33.446 --> 12:35.880 commercial shipping . And our work on 12:35.880 --> 12:38.239 this effort continues , but I want to 12:38.239 --> 12:40.400 make something clear . The only thing 12:40.400 --> 12:42.960 preventing commercial traffic can flow 12:42.960 --> 12:45.071 through the straits right now , which 12:45.071 --> 12:47.349 there is some through the Straits , is , 12:47.349 --> 12:49.349 is Iran . They are the belligerents 12:49.349 --> 12:51.293 here holding , holding the straits 12:51.293 --> 12:53.516 closed , although there is some traffic 12:53.516 --> 12:55.682 moving through there . We've made it a 12:55.682 --> 12:57.793 priority to target Iran's mine laying 12:57.793 --> 12:59.849 enterprise . There are mine layers , 12:59.849 --> 13:01.627 the naval bases and depots , in 13:01.627 --> 13:03.627 addition to the missiles that could 13:03.627 --> 13:06.119 influence the straits , and CENTCOM 13:06.119 --> 13:08.500 continues to attack those efforts , and 13:08.500 --> 13:10.500 we continue to make progress on the 13:10.500 --> 13:12.667 industrial base to include factories , 13:12.667 --> 13:15.000 weapons , warehouses that are stored in , 13:15.000 --> 13:17.380 and we will continue to do so in the 13:17.380 --> 13:20.590 coming days , especially today . Now , 13:20.630 --> 13:22.797 as I often do , I wanna share a little 13:22.797 --> 13:24.963 bit about our incredible joint force . 13:24.963 --> 13:26.686 Today I'm gonna talk about our 13:26.686 --> 13:28.908 incredible artillery force comprised of 13:28.908 --> 13:30.963 American soldiers and Marines who've 13:30.963 --> 13:33.241 been sinking ships , destroying depots , 13:33.241 --> 13:35.390 and launching Army tactical missile 13:35.390 --> 13:37.950 missile systems or attack . Precision 13:37.950 --> 13:40.349 strike missiles or prisms , and high 13:40.349 --> 13:43.750 mobility rocket systems or HAs from 13:43.750 --> 13:45.694 outside Iran , our army and Marine 13:45.694 --> 13:47.750 artillery men are hitting sites that 13:47.750 --> 13:50.909 Iran relies on to project power beyond 13:50.909 --> 13:53.187 their borders and protect our deployed . 13:53.859 --> 13:56.530 In just the 1st 13 days of this 13:56.530 --> 13:58.641 operation , our artillery forces have 13:58.641 --> 14:00.780 made history . They fired the first 14:00.780 --> 14:02.947 precision strike missiles ever used in 14:02.947 --> 14:04.836 combat , reaching deep into enemy 14:04.836 --> 14:07.219 territory . They've used Army attacks 14:07.219 --> 14:09.275 to sink multiple ships , including a 14:09.275 --> 14:11.275 submarine , and they've done all of 14:11.275 --> 14:13.960 this with the precision and 14:14.179 --> 14:15.979 determination that comes from 14:15.979 --> 14:18.739 relentless training and trust in each 14:18.739 --> 14:20.960 other and in their weapons systems . 14:21.369 --> 14:23.425 Yesterday I had the incredible honor 14:23.425 --> 14:25.591 and privilege of speaking with some of 14:25.591 --> 14:27.369 our young soldiers from the 3rd 14:27.369 --> 14:29.609 Battalion , 27th Field Artillery 14:29.609 --> 14:31.553 Regiment out of Fort Bragg , North 14:31.553 --> 14:34.330 Carolina , the unit and the crew that 14:34.330 --> 14:36.369 fired the first precision strike 14:36.369 --> 14:38.969 missiles . The soldiers I met came from 14:38.969 --> 14:41.247 all over this great country , New York , 14:41.247 --> 14:44.330 Texas , Delaware , California . One had 14:44.330 --> 14:48.109 been in the army only 6 months and been 14:48.109 --> 14:50.590 in the unit for 2 months and was 14:50.590 --> 14:52.849 already deployed . He was the youngest 14:52.849 --> 14:55.719 at 20 , but you would not know it from 14:55.719 --> 14:57.890 the way that they talked about their 14:57.890 --> 15:01.289 mission . The others were 22 and 28 15:01.289 --> 15:03.690 years old . They spoke with a sense of 15:03.690 --> 15:07.130 calm pride , purpose , and clarity that 15:07.130 --> 15:09.241 tells you clearly they understand the 15:09.241 --> 15:11.297 weight of what they're doing and the 15:11.297 --> 15:13.599 people who depend on them . I asked 15:13.599 --> 15:15.960 them to walk me through a fire mission . 15:16.039 --> 15:18.039 I asked not just what they do , but 15:18.039 --> 15:20.739 what they feel , especially those first 15:20.960 --> 15:23.619 crew members on this particular mission . 15:24.080 --> 15:26.247 These soldiers basically live in these 15:26.247 --> 15:28.247 vehicles behind us . The cab , very 15:28.247 --> 15:30.200 tight . Two folks sit next to each 15:30.200 --> 15:32.256 other with the crew commander behind 15:32.256 --> 15:34.510 them . It's jammed inside there with 15:34.510 --> 15:36.989 their personal weapons and kit , um , 15:37.039 --> 15:38.919 and they sit and wait for a fire 15:38.919 --> 15:41.150 mission . And when that fire mission 15:41.150 --> 15:43.210 comes , they close the armored doors 15:43.390 --> 15:46.169 and begin to program the systems . Uh , 15:46.309 --> 15:48.520 they then throw 3 simple toggle 15:48.520 --> 15:51.049 switches and 10 to 15 ft behind them , 15:51.229 --> 15:53.869 a rocket motor ignites and the round is 15:53.869 --> 15:55.758 headed , uh , downrange to do the 15:55.758 --> 15:58.030 nation's work . I asked these 15:58.030 --> 15:59.989 youngsters , these young , awesome 15:59.989 --> 16:02.156 Americans , what does that feel like ? 16:02.156 --> 16:04.267 And one of them just looked at me and 16:04.267 --> 16:06.770 said , it's awesome . No drama , no 16:06.770 --> 16:08.881 hesitation in the middle of the day , 16:08.890 --> 16:11.223 in the middle of the night , in the sun , 16:11.223 --> 16:13.330 the rain , in the snow , flawless 16:13.330 --> 16:16.000 execution . Their marine counterparts 16:16.000 --> 16:17.944 are out there doing the same thing 16:17.944 --> 16:20.729 every night . Same work , same pressure , 16:21.049 --> 16:23.969 same expectations , same results . And 16:23.969 --> 16:26.090 we hand tremendous and enormous 16:26.090 --> 16:28.423 responsibility to these young Americans . 16:28.700 --> 16:30.630 And they carry it with a level of 16:30.630 --> 16:33.580 maturity , grit , professionalism , and 16:33.580 --> 16:36.909 tenacity that makes me incredibly proud 16:36.909 --> 16:38.909 to be a part of their joint force . 16:39.229 --> 16:42.150 Their parents and families would and 16:42.150 --> 16:45.030 should be incredibly proud , and their 16:45.030 --> 16:47.229 leaders and I trust them to do the 16:47.229 --> 16:49.510 deeds that they must do in difficult 16:49.510 --> 16:53.299 circumstances every single time . I 16:53.299 --> 16:55.710 also want to touch today , a moment , 16:55.830 --> 16:58.052 uh , I want to touch for a moment today 16:58.052 --> 16:59.950 on their leadership . These young 16:59.950 --> 17:02.830 Americans are led by extraordinary 17:02.830 --> 17:05.209 young leaders out at the tactical edge . 17:05.589 --> 17:07.700 Yesterday , the battery commander and 17:07.700 --> 17:09.756 her NCO were there with this crew on 17:09.756 --> 17:12.030 the same video screen . The two of them 17:12.030 --> 17:14.141 hardly said a word . They didn't have 17:14.141 --> 17:16.589 to . Their eyes , uh , and in 17:16.589 --> 17:18.811 particular , the commander's eyes , you 17:18.811 --> 17:20.750 could see the quiet , trust and 17:20.750 --> 17:22.806 confidence she had in these soldiers 17:22.806 --> 17:25.028 and the rest of their battery . It came 17:25.028 --> 17:26.806 through loud and clear , and we 17:26.806 --> 17:28.861 appreciate their leadership . When I 17:28.861 --> 17:30.972 asked these soldiers yesterday , what 17:30.972 --> 17:33.139 is it that you need from the secretary 17:33.139 --> 17:32.750 and I , they looked at each other , 17:32.869 --> 17:34.980 paused for a moment , and looked back 17:34.980 --> 17:37.209 at me and said , More rounds , sir . It 17:37.209 --> 17:39.969 was awesome . So thank you to those 17:39.969 --> 17:42.136 soldiers and Marines out on the firing 17:42.136 --> 17:44.247 line supporting our mission and thank 17:44.247 --> 17:46.530 you to their families . Our joint force 17:46.530 --> 17:48.800 will continue today to deliver dynamic 17:48.800 --> 17:51.022 fires against the enemy from the land , 17:51.329 --> 17:53.790 sea , and air . We remain deeply 17:53.890 --> 17:56.359 grateful for their service and for the 17:56.359 --> 17:58.526 3rd time today I'll mention that today 17:58.526 --> 18:00.810 will be our busiest day . This mission 18:00.810 --> 18:02.699 remains complex , dangerous , and 18:02.699 --> 18:05.089 difficult , and every service member 18:05.369 --> 18:07.591 has a family waiting for them to return 18:07.591 --> 18:09.702 home , and I want to thank all of the 18:09.702 --> 18:11.925 families today who are supporting their 18:11.925 --> 18:14.079 deployed forces and those doing the 18:14.079 --> 18:16.510 work here in the states . On a personal 18:16.510 --> 18:18.621 note today , I also want to thank the 18:18.621 --> 18:20.677 joint staff and the team that I have 18:20.677 --> 18:22.843 the pleasure of working with , some of 18:22.843 --> 18:25.066 them right here in this room , they are 18:25.066 --> 18:28.869 working 24 hours a day to deliver the 18:28.869 --> 18:31.229 options that we must to the secretary 18:31.229 --> 18:34.510 and to the president . Today as I close , 18:34.750 --> 18:36.639 I ask , uh , that we remember our 18:36.639 --> 18:39.109 fallen and those participating in the 18:39.109 --> 18:41.430 recovery operations to bring home our 18:41.430 --> 18:44.550 lost KC-135 crew , that we keep those 18:44.550 --> 18:47.069 service members and their families in 18:47.069 --> 18:49.310 their thoughts and prayers . Those are 18:49.310 --> 18:52.180 very , very , very tough days when that 18:52.180 --> 18:54.630 knock comes on the door for people on 18:54.630 --> 18:57.550 both sides of the door . Again , thank 18:57.550 --> 18:59.883 you to our deployed . Thank you to , uh , 18:59.883 --> 19:02.106 our fallen and to their families and to 19:02.106 --> 19:04.383 the joint force . And with that , I'll , 19:04.383 --> 19:06.217 uh , turn it back to you , sir . 19:07.079 --> 19:09.357 Alexander Ingersoll , One America News , 19:09.357 --> 19:11.523 um , can you tell us a little bit more 19:11.523 --> 19:13.690 about the Strait of Hormuz and when it 19:13.690 --> 19:15.912 might be fully operational again and um 19:15.912 --> 19:17.801 how do we ensure our objective of 19:17.801 --> 19:20.719 denying Iran a nuclear weapon if they 19:20.719 --> 19:22.330 continue to align with our ? 19:22.330 --> 19:24.625 Adversaries . So I'll take it and chime 19:24.625 --> 19:26.736 in , Mr . Chairman , if you'd like at 19:26.736 --> 19:28.847 all . Um , I , I wanna emphasize what 19:28.847 --> 19:31.069 the chairman said about that . The only 19:31.069 --> 19:30.305 thing prohibiting transit in the 19:30.305 --> 19:32.416 straits right now is Iran shooting at 19:32.416 --> 19:34.704 shipping . It is open for transit 19:34.704 --> 19:36.926 should Iran not do that . Now there's a 19:36.926 --> 19:38.815 reason why we chose as one of our 19:38.815 --> 19:41.175 primary objectives destroy the navy . 19:41.425 --> 19:43.592 We understood the ability to interdict 19:43.592 --> 19:45.925 shipping is something Iran has done for 19:46.305 --> 19:48.416 40 years . It's key terrain . They've 19:48.416 --> 19:50.361 used it as leverage . The world is 19:50.361 --> 19:52.527 seeing what they'll do . Uh , to fight 19:52.527 --> 19:54.472 back in that context and so , um , 19:54.472 --> 19:56.416 we've heard them talk about taking 19:56.416 --> 19:58.305 various measures , uh , and we're 19:58.305 --> 20:00.527 planning for all of them . So we have a 20:00.527 --> 20:00.489 plan for every option here . We're 20:00.489 --> 20:02.600 working with our interagency partners 20:02.600 --> 20:04.822 and , uh , that's , that's not a strait 20:04.822 --> 20:06.933 we're gonna allow to remain contested 20:06.933 --> 20:09.045 or with a lack of , of flow of , of , 20:09.045 --> 20:11.211 of commercial goods . So we're , we're 20:11.211 --> 20:13.378 aware of that . We're laser focused on 20:13.378 --> 20:15.433 our military . Objectives , but also 20:15.433 --> 20:17.545 want to make sure our partners across 20:17.545 --> 20:17.520 this government understand we're 20:17.520 --> 20:19.560 working with you to make sure that 20:19.560 --> 20:21.671 energy flows , and that's , that's an 20:21.671 --> 20:23.838 important part and the second question 20:23.838 --> 20:25.838 was on the nuclear capability as we 20:25.838 --> 20:25.800 said from the beginning , their 20:25.800 --> 20:27.911 strategy shifted just from defense of 20:27.911 --> 20:29.578 their nuclear facilities to a 20:29.578 --> 20:31.411 conventional umbrella of so many 20:31.411 --> 20:33.300 missiles . Uh , that no one would 20:33.300 --> 20:35.522 challenge their ability to their , uh , 20:35.522 --> 20:37.856 the opportunity to defeat their missile , 20:37.856 --> 20:40.078 their nuclear capabilities , and it was 20:40.078 --> 20:42.133 growing by the day . So with Iran at 20:42.133 --> 20:44.300 its weakest moment , taking , going at 20:44.300 --> 20:46.189 that ballistic missile capability 20:46.189 --> 20:48.411 creates an opportunity to ensure , uh , 20:48.411 --> 20:50.578 at any point in time that Iran give up 20:50.578 --> 20:52.689 their nuclear capabilities or if need 20:52.689 --> 20:54.856 be , you prevent them from doing it as 20:54.856 --> 20:56.856 the president has done once already 20:56.856 --> 20:56.510 with Operation Midnight Hammer , uh , 20:56.680 --> 20:58.880 obliterating those capabilities . So 20:58.880 --> 21:01.102 the conventional side is a huge part of 21:01.102 --> 21:02.880 getting at . Uh denying nuclear 21:02.880 --> 21:04.991 capabilities if you have anything you 21:04.991 --> 21:06.991 want to add , um , I appreciate the 21:06.991 --> 21:08.991 question . I'm not gonna comment on 21:08.991 --> 21:10.936 what we may or may not be thinking 21:10.936 --> 21:13.102 about any options that the joint force 21:13.102 --> 21:12.609 could be tasked to do in the future , 21:12.709 --> 21:14.653 whether it's on the nuke matter or 21:14.653 --> 21:16.820 anything else . Thank you though , but 21:16.820 --> 21:19.042 we have options . The mines that are in 21:19.042 --> 21:20.987 the Strait of Hormuz and , and our 21:20.987 --> 21:24.819 ability to , you know . We , we retain 21:24.819 --> 21:27.020 a range of options to solve a whole 21:27.020 --> 21:29.650 variety of problems , um , and , uh , 21:29.660 --> 21:32.099 that is one set of options that we have , 21:32.180 --> 21:34.900 uh , uh , you know , that we hold on to . 21:35.369 --> 21:38.390 So thank you . Thank you , Secretary 21:38.390 --> 21:40.723 Hegseth . Mary Margaret with Daily Wire . 21:40.723 --> 21:42.779 Uh , thank you both for the update . 21:42.779 --> 21:44.779 ABC News has updated its story from 21:44.779 --> 21:47.209 yesterday , clarifying that the FBI 21:47.209 --> 21:49.930 report on Iran possibly striking 21:49.989 --> 21:52.211 California was unverified . I just want 21:52.211 --> 21:54.109 to ask you , what impact did that 21:54.109 --> 21:56.220 original reporting have on the public 21:56.220 --> 21:58.390 and does Iran even have the ability to 21:58.390 --> 22:00.501 conduct such a strike ? And then just 22:00.501 --> 22:02.612 really quickly on another note , um , 22:02.612 --> 22:04.949 what role did Vice President Vance play 22:04.949 --> 22:07.060 in counseling the president , uh , on 22:07.060 --> 22:09.171 this conflict ? Can you speak to some 22:09.171 --> 22:10.839 of the media reporting , uh , 22:10.849 --> 22:12.849 suggesting that there is a division 22:12.849 --> 22:15.016 there ? That reporting on California , 22:15.016 --> 22:17.560 um , obviously had no impact on us . Uh , 22:17.569 --> 22:19.910 also we're used to bad reporting . 22:20.170 --> 22:22.337 We're used to ill-informed reporting . 22:22.337 --> 22:24.670 And so it doesn't change how we operate , 22:24.670 --> 22:26.670 but we engage with it to prove that 22:26.670 --> 22:29.060 it's not true , as CEO has done so well . 22:29.280 --> 22:32.160 Uh , ultimately , uh , I look at the 22:32.160 --> 22:34.327 reports on a daily basis of threat our 22:34.327 --> 22:36.438 in agencies all over it . My partners 22:36.438 --> 22:38.604 across government are all over looking 22:38.604 --> 22:40.771 for indications and warnings , keeping 22:40.771 --> 22:42.993 the American people safe . Uh , there's 22:42.993 --> 22:45.216 a lot of things Iran has said it can do 22:45.216 --> 22:47.549 for , for a long time , um , thankfully , 22:47.549 --> 22:49.604 including engaging their proxies and 22:49.604 --> 22:48.800 getting them involved in the fight , 22:48.839 --> 22:51.172 which they haven't been able to do . Uh , 22:51.172 --> 22:53.395 so we're watching that very closely and 22:53.395 --> 22:55.117 as far as , as far as the vice 22:55.117 --> 22:57.117 president , uh , he's an incredible 22:57.117 --> 22:59.172 member , leader of this team as well 22:59.172 --> 23:01.283 alongside the president and secretary 23:01.283 --> 23:03.506 of state . I , I can't say enough great 23:03.506 --> 23:05.561 stuff about this team , how it works 23:05.561 --> 23:07.672 together , how it provides options to 23:07.672 --> 23:09.895 the president , uh , and , and the vice 23:09.895 --> 23:11.895 president every single day is a key 23:11.895 --> 23:14.061 voice in that , an indispensable voice 23:14.061 --> 23:16.061 in that actually . Um In the middle 23:16.061 --> 23:18.530 there , red tie . Yes , um , Michael 23:18.530 --> 23:20.530 Gordon , Wall Street Journal , uh , 23:20.530 --> 23:23.969 Iran is thought to have 440 kg of 23:23.969 --> 23:26.140 highly enriched uranium in at least 2 23:26.140 --> 23:28.979 locations and several 1000 kg of lower 23:28.979 --> 23:31.910 purity material . Can you conclude this 23:31.910 --> 23:34.125 mission successfully ? Without 23:34.125 --> 23:36.165 physically taking control of that 23:36.165 --> 23:38.285 material or are you counting on 23:38.285 --> 23:41.724 diplomatic negotiations to provide some 23:41.724 --> 23:43.613 measure of control leading to its 23:43.613 --> 23:45.724 removal ? You've mentioned missiles , 23:45.724 --> 23:47.668 you've mentioned drones , military 23:47.668 --> 23:49.835 industry . You haven't stipulated that 23:49.835 --> 23:51.724 taking care of that material is a 23:51.724 --> 23:53.891 mission priority . We've said from the 23:53.891 --> 23:56.057 beginning deny Iran nuclear weapons as 23:56.057 --> 23:58.530 a core mission . We have , we retain 23:58.530 --> 24:00.969 options across the spectrum to ensure 24:00.969 --> 24:02.913 that they never do , and President 24:02.913 --> 24:04.969 Trump has said that . And that's why 24:04.969 --> 24:06.969 this mission actually couldn't have 24:06.969 --> 24:09.191 been possible without Midnight Hammer . 24:09.191 --> 24:11.080 Without what those B-2s did going 24:11.080 --> 24:12.747 across and obliterating those 24:12.747 --> 24:14.969 facilities , that set the condition for 24:14.969 --> 24:17.136 the opportunity to do what we're doing 24:17.136 --> 24:17.040 now , so he's kept the president's kept 24:17.040 --> 24:19.373 his eye focused on nuclear capabilities , 24:19.439 --> 24:21.328 and I will say we have a range of 24:21.328 --> 24:23.161 options up to and including Iran 24:23.161 --> 24:25.272 deciding . That they will , uh , give 24:25.272 --> 24:27.272 those up , which of course we would 24:27.272 --> 24:29.495 welcome . They weren't willing to do in 24:29.495 --> 24:31.606 negotiations . Uh , I would not never 24:31.606 --> 24:33.828 tell this group or the world what we're 24:33.828 --> 24:33.449 willing to do or how far we're willing 24:33.449 --> 24:36.219 to go , uh , but we have options for 24:36.219 --> 24:38.770 sure right next to them . No , right 24:38.770 --> 24:40.992 there , right here , sir , right here . 24:41.199 --> 24:43.366 I'll take it quarter zip right there , 24:43.366 --> 24:45.588 yep , no , you , yep , OK , thank you , 24:45.588 --> 24:48.140 sir . Um , can you please provide some 24:48.140 --> 24:50.307 guidance ? Uh , it's been 13 days in . 24:50.307 --> 24:52.473 Can you please provide some guidance , 24:52.473 --> 24:54.584 both of you , about the strike on the 24:54.584 --> 24:56.540 girls' school ? Um , there's been 24:56.540 --> 24:58.380 reporting that indicates that 24:58.380 --> 25:00.547 preliminary inquiry , even though it's 25:00.547 --> 25:02.436 ongoing , has determined that the 25:02.436 --> 25:04.780 airstrike was carried out , um , by the 25:04.780 --> 25:06.891 United States . Uh , given that there 25:06.891 --> 25:09.002 is another competing narrative , uh , 25:09.002 --> 25:11.169 that this was done intentionally , can 25:11.169 --> 25:13.391 you provide us with some guidance about 25:13.391 --> 25:15.724 whether , uh , this , uh , was the case ? 25:15.829 --> 25:18.050 Secondly , um , we are also getting , 25:18.510 --> 25:20.732 uh , we had heard yesterday from Energy 25:20.732 --> 25:22.899 Secretary Wright , uh , that said that 25:22.899 --> 25:24.954 the US Navy would not be ready until 25:24.954 --> 25:27.177 the end of the month to provide escorts 25:27.177 --> 25:29.288 through the state of Hormuz . Is that 25:29.288 --> 25:31.343 an accurate assessment ? And if so , 25:31.343 --> 25:33.621 can you tell us why ? Thank you . Well , 25:33.621 --> 25:35.788 with an issue on your first topic , an 25:35.788 --> 25:37.788 issue of such seriousness , um , we 25:37.788 --> 25:39.899 don't , we're not gonna let reporting 25:39.899 --> 25:41.621 lead us or force our hand into 25:41.621 --> 25:43.677 indicating , uh , what happened in a 25:43.677 --> 25:45.843 particular situation because the truth 25:45.843 --> 25:47.954 matters . So I can report that CETCOM 25:47.954 --> 25:50.177 has designated an investigating officer 25:50.180 --> 25:52.291 to complete a command investigation . 25:52.291 --> 25:54.291 Uh , the command investigation will 25:54.291 --> 25:56.347 take as long as necessary to address 25:56.347 --> 25:58.180 all the matters surrounding this 25:58.180 --> 26:00.013 incident , and the investigating 26:00.013 --> 26:02.180 officer is from outside CENTCOM and is 26:02.180 --> 26:01.819 a is a general officer , but I will 26:01.819 --> 26:04.250 note . To this group and to the world , 26:04.750 --> 26:06.528 there's only one entity in this 26:06.528 --> 26:08.619 conflict , uh , between us and Iran 26:08.619 --> 26:10.390 that never targets civilians , 26:10.750 --> 26:12.806 literally never target civilians . I 26:12.806 --> 26:15.030 look at the process that's used on 26:15.030 --> 26:17.390 dynamic strikes or on boat strikes and 26:17.390 --> 26:21.069 others . We have a very high fidelity 26:21.069 --> 26:23.013 process in that case , so we don't 26:23.013 --> 26:25.469 target . Iran does . We will 26:25.469 --> 26:27.525 investigate . We'll get to the truth 26:27.525 --> 26:29.580 and we'll share it when we have it . 26:29.580 --> 26:31.636 Absolutely . And what was the second 26:31.636 --> 26:30.959 question Strait of Hormuz about the 26:30.959 --> 26:34.239 Navy , uh , it's a tactically complex 26:34.239 --> 26:36.350 environment before I think we want to 26:36.350 --> 26:38.517 take anything through there at scale , 26:38.517 --> 26:40.517 we want to make sure that we do the 26:40.517 --> 26:42.739 work . Pursuant to our current military 26:42.739 --> 26:44.961 objectives to , to do , uh , to do that 26:44.961 --> 26:46.628 safely and smartly , so we're 26:46.628 --> 26:48.739 continuing to develop and we do a lot 26:48.739 --> 26:50.906 of work and like I said this is , uh , 26:50.906 --> 26:53.017 it is dynamic , but this is , I think 26:53.017 --> 26:55.128 almost by 20% the largest day of , of 26:55.128 --> 26:57.072 strikes . Uh , and as I said , our 26:57.072 --> 26:58.961 intelligence just gets better and 26:58.961 --> 27:00.850 better . That feedback loop feeds 27:00.850 --> 27:03.183 itself , and as we refine those targets , 27:03.183 --> 27:05.406 it , it exponentially increases what we 27:05.406 --> 27:07.630 can hit and why to include strategic 27:07.630 --> 27:09.686 things the world's talking about and 27:09.686 --> 27:11.908 looking at . And it's our job to have a 27:11.908 --> 27:14.241 plan for it , which we do to address it , 27:14.241 --> 27:16.408 uh , and ensure that the president has 27:16.408 --> 27:18.630 options . Uh , we've done that from the 27:18.630 --> 27:17.790 beginning in this department . He'll 27:17.790 --> 27:20.012 have options on that , on that topic as 27:20.012 --> 27:22.346 well right here about that strike , sir . 27:22.719 --> 27:24.589 Um , an investigation is an 27:24.589 --> 27:26.756 investigation . That's what it is . It 27:26.756 --> 27:28.978 doesn't mean anything other than that . 27:28.978 --> 27:31.033 Yes , uh , Ryan Morgan with the Epic 27:31.033 --> 27:33.256 Times , uh , regarding today's busy day 27:33.256 --> 27:35.930 of strikes , um , last week you guys 27:35.930 --> 27:39.510 discussed the . Progress of the air 27:39.510 --> 27:41.829 campaign to gain air superiority and 27:41.829 --> 27:44.910 the transition from these standoff 27:44.910 --> 27:48.010 weapons launched at range to more 27:48.030 --> 27:51.189 overhead strikes , can you now say that 27:51.189 --> 27:53.329 these strikes today are going to rely 27:53.869 --> 27:55.869 entirely on stand-in over the top 27:55.869 --> 27:59.869 weapons , or are standoff range weapons 27:59.869 --> 28:02.091 still in play ? It's a great question . 28:02.091 --> 28:04.147 I can say based on the report I read 28:04.147 --> 28:06.430 this morning at 0600 . Uh , only 1% of 28:06.430 --> 28:08.430 the munitions we're using today are 28:08.430 --> 28:10.597 standoff munitions . The rest are over 28:10.597 --> 28:13.270 the top , um , the types of which we 28:13.270 --> 28:15.214 have a plethora , uh , which was , 28:15.310 --> 28:17.532 which was our goal from the beginning . 28:17.532 --> 28:19.310 You use standoff which are more 28:19.310 --> 28:21.366 exquisite . You transition to a much 28:21.366 --> 28:23.477 larger magazine depth , ensuring that 28:23.477 --> 28:25.643 you're preserving all the capabilities 28:25.643 --> 28:25.569 you have and your options across , uh , 28:25.630 --> 28:27.709 the force . Absolutely . Iran placed 28:27.709 --> 28:29.765 any mines since the war started ? Is 28:29.765 --> 28:33.000 Iran placing new mines ? Um , we've 28:33.000 --> 28:34.944 heard them talk about it just like 28:34.944 --> 28:37.056 you've reported recklessly and wildly 28:37.056 --> 28:39.167 about it , um , but there's , we have 28:39.167 --> 28:41.222 no clear evidence , we have no clear 28:41.222 --> 28:43.556 evidence of that . Thank you , sir . Uh , 28:43.556 --> 28:43.319 Mr . Secretary , given everything the 28:43.319 --> 28:45.263 US has accomplished in the last 24 28:45.263 --> 28:47.375 hours , uh , as of today , how do you 28:47.375 --> 28:49.541 define success in this military option 28:49.541 --> 28:51.597 and has that definition changed from 28:51.597 --> 28:53.486 day one ? And also regarding Iran 28:53.486 --> 28:55.541 government telling countries hosting 28:55.541 --> 28:57.800 USA American bases that they could face 28:57.800 --> 28:59.800 attacks . Um , what is the Pentagon 28:59.800 --> 29:01.967 doing about that ? First question is , 29:01.967 --> 29:04.022 what is the . Objective . How do you 29:04.022 --> 29:06.133 define success as of today ? Yeah , I 29:06.133 --> 29:08.078 mean , we like , we define success 29:08.078 --> 29:10.739 again , 1312 days in , 13 days in . By 29:10.739 --> 29:12.850 reaching the military objectives that 29:12.850 --> 29:14.795 we've laid out launchers , missile 29:14.795 --> 29:16.906 launchers , defense industrial base , 29:16.906 --> 29:18.906 their navy , the ability to project 29:18.906 --> 29:18.819 power in the naval sense , leading 29:18.819 --> 29:20.875 toward denying them to get a nuclear 29:20.875 --> 29:23.097 weapon , and we've got internal metrics 29:23.097 --> 29:25.208 that look at that , that we represent 29:25.208 --> 29:25.079 to the president who then can decide , 29:25.540 --> 29:27.373 um , how , how long he'd like to 29:27.373 --> 29:29.540 continue in pursuit of those mil those 29:29.540 --> 29:31.596 military objectives . So that hasn't 29:31.596 --> 29:33.818 changed . There's a lot of things a lot 29:33.818 --> 29:35.929 of people talk about . Uh , what they 29:35.929 --> 29:38.040 want us to do or what we should do or 29:38.040 --> 29:37.380 what we should stay focused on , and 29:37.380 --> 29:39.602 again I've , I've addressed this before 29:39.602 --> 29:41.713 and I think it's worth saying again , 29:41.713 --> 29:44.089 um , mission creep or expansive 29:44.089 --> 29:47.189 missions or prolonged timelines or 29:47.339 --> 29:49.561 democracy building or nation building , 29:49.561 --> 29:51.672 you , you name it , has not been part 29:51.672 --> 29:53.839 of what President Trump wants us to be 29:53.839 --> 29:55.617 involved in . We're solving for 29:55.617 --> 29:57.450 something here , this particular 29:57.450 --> 29:59.672 mission set , uh , but also recognizing 29:59.672 --> 30:01.450 this country's conditioned . To 30:01.450 --> 30:03.617 previous leaders , whether it's George 30:03.617 --> 30:05.839 W . Bush or Barack Obama or Joe Biden , 30:05.839 --> 30:07.672 who had these expansive nebulous 30:07.672 --> 30:09.895 mission sets that kept changing all the 30:09.895 --> 30:12.061 time , so the timeline kept moving and 30:12.061 --> 30:14.172 we kept pouring more troops in and on 30:14.172 --> 30:15.950 the ground and then pretty soon 30:15.950 --> 30:17.672 everyone wonders like I did in 30:17.672 --> 30:19.506 Afghanistan in 2012 , what's our 30:19.506 --> 30:21.561 mission here . I'm not , I , I'm not 30:21.561 --> 30:23.783 clear what it is . We're , we're taking 30:23.783 --> 30:25.895 the opposite approach here and saying 30:25.895 --> 30:28.061 we've defined these objectives . We're 30:28.061 --> 30:29.839 pursuing those objectives . The 30:29.839 --> 30:32.006 president has his hand on the throttle 30:32.006 --> 30:33.839 and we'll decide ultimately when 30:33.839 --> 30:33.680 they've been reached that serve the 30:33.680 --> 30:35.513 purposes of the United States of 30:35.513 --> 30:37.569 America , American interests first . 30:39.000 --> 30:40.778 Yeah , right here . Thank you , 30:40.778 --> 30:42.944 Secretary Hexeth . Polls show over 80% 30:42.944 --> 30:45.111 of Republicans support the president's 30:45.111 --> 30:47.333 military . Action in Iran , but there's 30:47.333 --> 30:49.278 some consternation in parts of the 30:49.278 --> 30:51.389 party , particularly from your fellow 30:51.389 --> 30:53.278 Fox News alum Tucker Carlson . He 30:53.278 --> 30:53.005 called the war disgusting and evil , 30:53.265 --> 30:54.987 and then said of unconditional 30:54.987 --> 30:56.987 surrender , which the president has 30:56.987 --> 30:59.098 called for , means foreign troops get 30:59.098 --> 31:01.321 to rape your wives and daughters . Have 31:01.321 --> 31:01.185 you heard these comments and what's 31:01.185 --> 31:03.505 your reaction to them ? We're busy 31:03.505 --> 31:05.672 executing on behalf of great patriotic 31:05.672 --> 31:07.783 Americans with a clear mission . Uh , 31:07.783 --> 31:09.727 that's 47 years overdue . Uh , and 31:09.727 --> 31:11.894 we're gonna execute on that regardless 31:11.894 --> 31:13.949 of what people say about it . Yeah , 31:13.949 --> 31:16.005 right here , Checker , you have said 31:16.005 --> 31:18.172 that the US military has essentially , 31:18.172 --> 31:19.949 uh , aerial superiority , naval 31:19.949 --> 31:22.061 superiority over Iran , yet we're not 31:22.061 --> 31:23.894 escorting ships to the Strait of 31:23.894 --> 31:25.949 Hormuth . Why ? How did you not plan 31:25.949 --> 31:28.160 for this ? We , we plan for it . We 31:28.160 --> 31:31.699 recognize it , um . Because ultimately , 31:31.869 --> 31:33.980 uh , we wanna do it sequentially in a 31:33.980 --> 31:36.147 way that makes the most sense for what 31:36.147 --> 31:38.091 we want to achieve and ensure that 31:38.091 --> 31:40.425 we're , we're sending the right signals , 31:40.425 --> 31:40.400 uh , to the world when we do so . So 31:40.400 --> 31:42.567 when Chris Wright speaks or we speak , 31:42.567 --> 31:44.789 it's based on a full assessment of , of 31:44.789 --> 31:46.844 what we're , what we're up against , 31:46.844 --> 31:48.900 what we wanna say to the world , how 31:48.900 --> 31:48.859 that we want them to see and understand 31:48.859 --> 31:50.859 the conflict . It's like this whole 31:50.859 --> 31:52.748 idea . Idea of the war widening , 31:52.748 --> 31:54.915 that's what the press wants to make it 31:54.915 --> 31:54.493 look like , like it's widening and 31:54.493 --> 31:56.660 chaos is ensuing . No , we're actually 31:56.660 --> 31:59.532 closing in on grabbing hold of and 31:59.532 --> 32:01.692 controlling what , what objectives we 32:01.692 --> 32:03.636 want to achieve and how we want to 32:03.636 --> 32:05.581 achieve them . Shape , it's called 32:05.581 --> 32:07.525 shaping operations and setting the 32:07.525 --> 32:07.182 conditions , but when you shape the 32:07.182 --> 32:09.404 environment , you don't always tell , I 32:09.404 --> 32:11.571 mean , foolish political leaders . And 32:11.571 --> 32:13.626 foolish military leaders of the past 32:13.626 --> 32:15.793 will hang an exact deadline on it . Or 32:15.793 --> 32:18.015 here's exactly when we'll do what we're 32:18.015 --> 32:17.735 going to do , or here's how long it's 32:17.735 --> 32:19.791 gonna take us . And then if you meet 32:19.791 --> 32:21.957 that , uh , maybe you meet it , but if 32:21.957 --> 32:24.013 you don't , you fail , and if you're 32:24.013 --> 32:26.235 far beyond , we know exactly what we're 32:26.235 --> 32:28.235 shaping and why we're sending those 32:28.235 --> 32:28.026 signals working across the interagency . 32:28.066 --> 32:30.288 The Strait of Hormuz is something we've 32:30.288 --> 32:32.455 paid attention to from the beginning . 32:32.455 --> 32:34.566 Uh , and the American people can rest 32:34.566 --> 32:36.733 assured , uh , we will ensure that our 32:36.733 --> 32:36.390 interests are advanced , no doubt . 32:36.729 --> 32:38.729 Yeah , right there , green jacket . 32:38.790 --> 32:40.901 Mike , Mike Brest with the Washington 32:40.901 --> 32:43.123 Examiner . How many American casualties 32:43.123 --> 32:45.068 have there been and where were the 32:45.068 --> 32:47.290 American service members when they were 32:47.290 --> 32:50.380 injured ? Um , Uh , I mean , it's , uh , 32:50.489 --> 32:52.656 a bunch of returned to duty , so we've 32:52.656 --> 32:55.010 had a whole , the large , large 32:55.010 --> 32:57.189 majority have , uh , gone in for some 32:57.189 --> 32:59.356 medical treatment , returned to duty . 32:59.356 --> 33:02.030 We've had , uh , in Kuwait , uh , 33:02.229 --> 33:04.949 Jordan , uh , down across the southern 33:04.949 --> 33:06.838 flank a little bit , a variety of 33:06.838 --> 33:09.116 places , most from one-way attack , uh , 33:09.116 --> 33:11.282 strikes , but I want to clarify that . 33:11.282 --> 33:13.171 I think what we try to do here is 33:13.171 --> 33:15.060 clarify those numbers rather than 33:15.060 --> 33:17.810 saying , um . KIA or or WIA wounded , 33:18.079 --> 33:20.135 be more clear about that because the 33:20.135 --> 33:22.190 overwhelming majority , almost 90% , 33:22.190 --> 33:24.412 thank God , um , are returned to duty , 33:24.412 --> 33:26.523 minor minor injuries returned to duty 33:26.523 --> 33:28.523 and so that number can , can look a 33:28.523 --> 33:30.690 certain way and our job is to add some 33:30.690 --> 33:32.635 fidelity to it right here , yeah , 33:32.635 --> 33:34.912 thank you , Mr . Secretary . David Zia , 33:34.912 --> 33:36.968 Real America's Voice , can you share 33:36.968 --> 33:39.135 what types of munitions have been used 33:39.135 --> 33:41.357 on the attacks on commercial shipping ? 33:41.357 --> 33:43.301 Have any hit mines and are USVs on 33:43.301 --> 33:45.357 manned surface vehicles being used ? 33:45.357 --> 33:47.579 And just a quick follow up , were there 33:47.579 --> 33:49.579 any arrests , uh , in Fort Campbell 33:49.579 --> 33:52.099 with the drone thefts ? I'm not 33:52.099 --> 33:54.321 familiar with the Fort Campbell thing . 33:54.459 --> 33:56.739 Uh , the , the , the strikes that Iran 33:56.739 --> 33:59.339 has taken on shipping up north in the 33:59.339 --> 34:01.660 vicinity of Kuwait have been , I , I 34:01.660 --> 34:03.579 believe , from surface to surface 34:03.579 --> 34:06.339 missiles up there . Um , we've not seen 34:06.339 --> 34:09.479 any USV activity out of Iran . 34:10.040 --> 34:12.096 That we've we've seen in the Gulf at 34:12.096 --> 34:14.096 this point , nor have any ships hit 34:14.096 --> 34:16.096 mines or anything . There's like no 34:16.096 --> 34:18.429 still flowing through . There's been no , 34:18.429 --> 34:20.651 no strikes . One more time right here . 34:20.651 --> 34:22.762 Thank you so much , Heather Mullins , 34:22.762 --> 34:24.707 Lindde TV . My first question is , 34:24.707 --> 34:26.873 President Trump is set to meet with Xi 34:26.873 --> 34:29.096 Jinping in a couple of weeks . How much 34:29.096 --> 34:31.318 support , if any , has China been given 34:31.318 --> 34:31.139 the Iranian regime ? And then the 34:31.139 --> 34:33.250 second question , just , you know , I 34:33.250 --> 34:35.250 know President Trump calling for an 34:35.250 --> 34:37.250 unconditional surrender from Iran . 34:37.250 --> 34:39.028 Given that the US is working in 34:39.028 --> 34:41.139 partnership with Israel on this whole 34:41.139 --> 34:43.195 operation . Is Iran expected to meet 34:43.419 --> 34:45.530 demands of both countries or just the 34:45.530 --> 34:47.808 US , and what are those demands ? Well , 34:48.020 --> 34:49.798 we're proud to partner with the 34:49.798 --> 34:51.576 incredible cap capabilities the 34:51.576 --> 34:53.798 Iranians are . the Israelis have , uh , 34:53.798 --> 34:56.020 but our objectives are our objectives . 34:56.020 --> 34:58.131 And so when those are met , uh , as , 34:58.131 --> 35:00.187 as we meet those , we'll , we'll set 35:00.187 --> 35:02.353 the , uh , we'll set the tempo of , of 35:02.353 --> 35:04.576 when those are met . What was the first 35:04.576 --> 35:04.564 question ? Um , he's meeting with Xi 35:04.564 --> 35:06.675 Jin . Oh yeah , the president has a , 35:06.725 --> 35:08.915 has a , a , a historic relationship 35:08.915 --> 35:10.859 with President Xi . Um , they look 35:10.859 --> 35:12.965 forward to , to having a dynamic 35:12.965 --> 35:16.110 conversation . Uh , 22 powers , um , 35:16.270 --> 35:18.530 President Trump ultimately , uh , has 35:18.750 --> 35:20.949 established terms of that relationship 35:20.949 --> 35:22.949 which advanced the United States of 35:22.949 --> 35:24.727 America , and that meeting will 35:24.727 --> 35:26.782 continue to ensure we advance that . 35:26.782 --> 35:26.669 That's all I've got . Thank you very 35:26.669 --> 35:27.689 much . I appreciate it .