00:00Good afternoon, everyone.
00:03Under the leadership of President Donald J. Trump, the rogue Iranian terrorist regime
00:08is being absolutely crushed.
00:1147 years of tolerating and enabling the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism are over.
00:18Iran's murderous terrorist leaders are paying for their crimes against America, and they
00:23are paying in blood.
00:24Since 1979, the terrorist Iranian regime has actively and intentionally facilitated
00:31the killings of Americans.
00:33They chant death to America and fund other radical terrorists who attack our country and
00:39are seeking to destroy Western civilization itself.
00:44These terrorists seized our embassy and took 66 Americans hostage in Tehran.
00:49They slaughtered 241 U.S. service members with a truck bombing in Beirut.
00:55They killed and maimed hundreds of American service members in Iraq.
00:59And this is just a small fraction of their blood-soaked record.
01:03Prior leaders have been too weak and ineffective to address this threat.
01:08Some like Barack Hussein Obama even sent pallets of cash that ultimately financed this terrorist
01:14crusade against the United States and our people, while signing stupid and naive deals that put
01:21Iran on the path of developing nuclear bombs.
01:25After years of endless appeasement and empty statements from politicians on both sides of
01:30the political aisle in this town, President Trump is finally the man of action.
01:35President Trump is holding these monsters accountable and permanently extinguishing their nuclear ambitions.
01:42Future generations of Americans will look to this moment as the moment where the specter of
01:48a nuclear-armed Iran ended.
01:52At the beginning of Operation Epic Fury, launched last weekend, President Trump laid out clear
01:57objectives to the American people on what the U.S. military seeks to accomplish through
02:02these major combat operations.
02:05Number one, destroy the regime's deadly ballistic missiles and completely raise their missile industry
02:11to the ground.
02:12Number two, annihilate the Iranian regime's navy.
02:15And so far, we have destroyed more than 20 Iranian ships, including their top submarine last night,
02:22using a torpedo for the first time since World War II.
02:25There is not a single Iranian ship underway in the Arabian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz, or the Gulf
02:31of Oman.
02:32Number three, Operation Epic Fury will ensure the regime's terrorist proxies in the region can
02:38no longer destabilize the region or the free world and attack our armed forces.
02:44And thus far, Iran's proxies are hardly putting up a fight.
02:48Number four, this mission will guarantee that Iran can never obtain a nuclear weapon.
02:54It's safe to say that, thus far, Operation Epic Fury has been a resounding success.
03:00American forces have struck more than 2,000 targets, destroying hundreds and hundreds of
03:05ballistic missiles, launchers, and drones.
03:08As the Department of War said this morning, we expect to have complete and total dominance
03:13over Iranian airspace in the coming hours, clearing the skies for our brave warriors to continue
03:19achieving these noble and long-sought-after objectives.
03:23There's been a lot of misreporting and intellectual dishonesty from the American media on why President
03:28Trump decided to launch this operation.
03:31So let me remind you, Operation Midnight Hammer, which took place last June, obliterated Iran's
03:37three major nuclear sites.
03:39Yet the terrorist Iranian regime has remained fully committed to rebuilding its nuclear program.
03:45How do we know this?
03:46Because Iran has pursued this path of war and violence despite President Trump dispatching
03:52two of his top and most trusted negotiators to engage in exhaustive and good-faith negotiations
03:58to try and reach a deal.
04:00And the world knows this President's preference is always peace and diplomacy first.
04:05Look no further than the eight additional global conflicts he has ended in the past year as
04:11proof.
04:12Unfortunately, the terrorist Iranian regime refused to negotiate in good faith.
04:17They chose this path of violence and destruction, and they are reaping the consequences of their
04:23horrible decision.
04:24The regime did what they always have done.
04:27They lied.
04:28They delayed.
04:28They tried to string the United States of America along.
04:32They wanted to buy themselves time to continue building ballistic missiles and other deadly weaponry
04:37that could harm our U.S. personnel and troops in the region and to continue aggressively pursuing
04:42their unacceptable nuclear ambitions.
04:45U.S. negotiators offered to lift crippling sanctions on Iran and even provide nuclear fuel to Iran at no cost
04:53to support a civil nuclear power program.
04:56They additionally had the opportunity to accept U.S. support as an investor in potential projects
05:01to develop peaceful nuclear energy together under a mutually agreed-upon framework.
05:07Yet in response, Iran would have to forfeit their enrichment capacity once and for all.
05:13But Iran rejected.
05:14They accepted none of these generous and unprecedented offers by the United States.
05:19Simply put, they refused to say yes to peace.
05:23And their refusal made clear that their number one priority was building a nuclear weapon with
05:29which to threaten the United States of America, again, the country they have been chanting death
05:35to for nearly five decades.
05:37Let me state this again clearly.
05:39Iran rejected the path of peace because the terrorists in charge of this regime wanted to
05:44build nuclear weapons to use against Americans and our allies.
05:48President Trump made the determination – a courageous determination and decision – that the
05:54path the United States was on with Iran had only one outcome – massive death and destruction
06:00at the hands of a nuclear-armed, terroristic regime.
06:04That path of death and destruction and threats against the American people have ended with Operation Epic Fury.
06:11Operation Epic Fury has forged a new path that will better ensure the security of the United States
06:17and our people.
06:18The terrorists made a bet that President Trump would be like many of his predecessors, that
06:23he would just talk and he would refuse to enforce his clear red lines.
06:28But that has proven to be a catastrophic error in judgment.
06:32When President Trump makes a threat – and I have reiterated that threat many times from
06:36this podium to all of you over the past year – President Trump does not bluff.
06:41The President's words are backed up by the mightiest warriors in the world who possess
06:46the most sophisticated capabilities this world has ever known.
06:50Forty-nine and counting of the most senior Iranian regime leaders, including the Supreme
06:55Leader, have already been wiped off the face of the Earth.
06:58Make no mistake – killing these brutal terrorists is good for America and makes the world a much
07:05safer place.
07:07I want to also extend our prayers and condolences to the families of the six U.S. military service
07:12members who have been lost in Operation Epic Fury.
07:16These heroes represent the very best among us.
07:19They laid down their lives in defense of our country, and we will never forget their legacy
07:25or their sacrifice.
07:26As the President said, we grieve for these American patriots and their families as we continue
07:31the righteous mission for which they gave their lives.
07:34President Trump intends to attend the dignified transfer of these American heroes to stand
07:39in grief alongside their families.
07:42I understand the Department of War is working on scheduling this transfer, and we will provide
07:46updates at the appropriate time.
07:48Finally, the Trump administration is also doing everything within our power to protect Americans
07:54in harm's way.
07:55Since the launch of Operation Epic Fury, more than 17,500 Americans have safely returned home from
08:03the Middle East, with over 8,500 American citizens returning home to the United States just yesterday
08:09alone.
08:10If you are a U.S. citizen in the Middle East looking to return to the United States, the
08:15Secretary of State asks that you please register with the State Department at step.state.gov.
08:21The State Department will identify where you are and provide travel options directly to you.
08:26The administration is already rapidly charting flights free of charge and booking commercial
08:32options, which we expect to become increasingly available as time goes on and the success of
08:37this mission further comes to fruition.
08:39I know the President and Secretary of State Rubio have been in touch as well with our allies
08:44in the region directly about this problem, making it clear that it is a priority of the United
08:49States of America to bring every American home.
08:52The Trump administration will not rest until every American is home safely and until the
08:57terrorist threat from Iran has been completely destroyed.
09:01With that, I'll take your questions.
09:03Eric, why don't you kick us off today?
09:04Thank you for being here.
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