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00:16Well, over the weekend, I had the opportunity to visit our troops fighting in Operation Epic
00:22Fury. We were in the ground or on the ground, excuse me, in CENTCOM on Saturday for about
00:28half the day. For reasons of operational security, so those troops are not targeted, the places
00:35and bases will not be named. Suffice it to say, the trip was an honor. I had a chance
00:44to bear witness, and I witnessed the best of America. I witnessed warriors, a brotherhood
00:53of men and women, warriors all, active duty guard and reserve, united in their love for
01:00each other, their shared purpose, and their commitment to the mission. I witnessed sheer
01:06competency. I watched a private first class confidently calling out an enemy missile trajectory
01:12to a room full of officers. Everyone focused. The room was locked in. Two enemy missiles successfully
01:20shot down. I spoke to Air Force and Navy pilots on the flight line, who every day both deliver
01:27bombs deep into Iran, but also shoot down drones defending their base. Many had just returned
01:36from the skies of Iran and Tehran. I put on a headset and spoke to one crew in the cockpit,
01:43locked and loaded, each and every day. I witnessed ingenuity, American ingenuity. I met the young
01:51Army officer who figured out how to neutralize maneuvering enemy missiles, saving countless lives.
01:56His commander confirmed that the whoops and cheers erupted in the Tactical Operations Center when his new
02:03approach was first successful. I met the Air Force Intel analyst who refines target packages faster than the
02:10enemy can adapt. I actually gave him my card and told him to keep me posted on the ground truth.
02:19I did the same with his boss, a colonel with a heart the size of Texas and a beautiful deployment
02:27mustache
02:28to match. I witnessed lethality. I met a junior airman as the sun was going down and a chill was
02:38setting on the
02:38tarmac, who when asked what they needed. She simply looked up at me with a sly smile on her face
02:46and said,
02:48more bombs, sir, and bigger bombs. We will happily oblige her. I met the Army targeting team who found and
02:58sunk
02:59the pride and joy of the Iranian Navy, their fighting position plastered with images of sunken enemy ships.
03:06And I witnessed urgency. Right when we landed, another C-17 landed just minutes after us.
03:13And within 30 seconds of the aircraft coming to a full stop, a team on the ground pulled up and
03:19the
03:19cargo was being uploaded. Wartime speed. To a man and to a woman on the ground, in the air, on
03:28the flight line,
03:29and in the talk, I heard, we want everything faster, higher op tempo, wartime speed.
03:39The feeling was the exact opposite of the rotational units year after year in the wars in Iraq and
03:45Afghanistan that we're so familiar with. In those wars, it was always about the next rotation, never
03:51knowing when the mission would end or exactly what the mission was year after year. Not with epic fury.
03:59I witnessed urgency to finish the job, urgency to achieve mission success, not looking at the next
04:05rotation, only moving as fast as possible to win. I got a chance to troop the line, to witness firsthand
04:14what we already know is true. Spoke to all ranks and all services, none of whom knew we were coming.
04:21It was not rehearsed or scripted. Sometimes we just wandered. What I witnessed was motivation.
04:27It was sheer mission focus. It was the American warrior unleashed. It was the kind of war fighting
04:36American spirit that comes with a clear mission against a determined enemy. A crew chief we flew
04:43with summed it up nicely. He said, it's been a busy few weeks, sir, tough stuff, but I'm so honored
04:49to be
04:49called up. This fight is long overdue. We need to address it for our kids.
04:56We cannot pass the buck. Please thank the president from us. I heard that time and time again.
05:04I asked each young American, what do you need? And nobody said better equipment. Nobody said more
05:11comfortable living conditions. Nobody said, send me home. Well, of course, eventually we want all those
05:16things. They do too. But what those Americans said to me, young and old officer and NCO, male and female,
05:26black and white was let's finish the mission. Get us even more bombs, bigger bombs, more targets.
05:33Let us finish this. In fact, Admiral Cooper noted this morning that the three air force captains shot
05:41down by Kuwaiti friendly fire early in the fight weeks ago. They never left the theater. All dropped
05:49bombs over Tehran last night. These men and women live the Iranian threat every day, incoming missiles
05:57and drones, and know what a world looks like, what the world would look like if Iran had the most
06:02dangerous weapons in the world, a nuclear weapon. As President Trump has said time and time again for
06:08years. And in this administration, Iran cannot have a nuclear bomb and they won't. These troops,
06:15they want to finish this fight for their kids and their grandkids. This is about history. This is about
06:21legacy. Success matters. And because of this president and these Americans, we're closer than ever before
06:30to winning. President Trump is doing what no other president had the guts to do. Previous presidents were
06:38all talk. He's all action. On the battlefield, because of the latitude the president has given us,
06:46American firepower is only increasing. Iran's decreasing. We have more and more options,
06:54and they have less. Just one month in, only one month, we set the terms. The upcoming days will be
07:03decisive. Iran knows that, and there's almost nothing they can militarily do about it. Yes,
07:09they will still shoot some missiles, but we will shoot them down. Of note, the last 24 hours saw the
07:16lowest number of enemy missiles and drones fired by Iran. They will go underground, but we will find them.
07:25We recently destroyed another one of their command bunkers. Leaders forced to flee. No water, no power,
07:31no oxygen, no command and control. Their faith in their caves diminishing. The latest intel is clear
07:40out of CENTCOM. Our strikes are damaging the morale of the Iranian military, leading to widespread desertions,
07:46key personnel shortages, and causing frustrations amongst senior leaders. Just last night, we had 200
07:55dynamic strikes alone. Dynamic strike is a strike where a pilot leaves, and during their flight they
08:02get a new target set based on real-time intel given to them. A new launcher, a new location, a
08:08new troop
08:08formation. A dynamic target is one that changes while you're in the air because of improved intelligence.
08:13200 dynamic strikes alone, in addition to the pre-planned targets. The video the president
08:19posted last night of Esfahan, an ammo depot struck by U.S. bombers. You see, you don't get to see
08:27many
08:27of those videos because, as a reminder, Iran has still shut off the internet to 99.9% of its
08:34population.
08:36But if Iran is wise, they will cut a deal. President Trump doesn't bluff and he does not back down.
08:44You can ask Khomeini about that. The new Iranian regime should know that by now.
08:49This new regime, because regime change has occurred, should be wiser than the last.
08:58President Trump will make a deal. He is willing. And the terms of the deal are known to them.
09:03If Iran is not willing, then the United States War Department will continue with even more intensity.
09:13Standing here this morning in this briefing room, in my mind's eye, I'm actually looking out at the
09:18groups I met this weekend. The pilots, the logisticians, the intel analysts, the targeters,
09:26the sustainers, the flight crews, the air defenders, the base security, those maintainers who we walked up
09:35at sunset with the chill and the air on the flight line.
09:39May God watch over all of them each day and each night. May his almighty and eternal arms of
09:48providence stretch over them and protect them and bring them peace. In the name of Jesus Christ.
09:56And amen. Mr. Chairman over here.
09:59Thank you, Mr. Secretary. Good morning, everyone. And thank you again for being here. As operations
10:04continue, I remain deeply grateful for the service and determination of 2.8 million members of our
10:10joint force, each of whom are serving something greater than themselves. Every day, those deployed,
10:16and in many cases, those at home who are deploying forward and bomber pulses and others put themselves
10:22in harm's way and we owe them a deep debt of gratitude. I remain especially grateful for our fallen
10:29who gave the ultimate sacrifice. We'll never forget their valor and their determination to do something
10:36greater than themselves. And each day we continue to earn what they've given to us. This morning,
10:42I want to share that yesterday the joint force had the honor of participating in the burial of Colonel
10:49Clarence Emil Bud Anderson, who passed away in May of 2024 at the ripe old age of 102. He was
10:57laid to
10:58rest in Arlington Cemetery yesterday morning alongside his wife of 70 years, Eleanor, who he married on
11:04February 23, 1945. She passed away in 2015 at the age of 92. Bud yesterday, a legend to our Air
11:13Force
11:14and fighter pilots everywhere, was honored with a combination flyby of F-35s and a four-ship of P-51
11:21Mustangs. He was one of the most prolific flying aces of World War II and the highest scoring P-51
11:27ace with
11:2816 and a quarter kills in his squadron and in his group. And he served from 1942 to 1972. And
11:37his last
11:38combat tour was flying F-104 Thunder Chiefs over North Vietnam. For anyone that had the chance to
11:44meet Colonel Anderson, you knew what an incredibly special man he was. And that's true for each and
11:50every one of our World War II vets who become fewer and fewer with each passing day. They are the
11:57greatest
11:57generation and give us the gift of an incredible example as we execute Operation Epic Fury today.
12:05And Colonel Anderson, we mourn for your loss and remember that smile on the right side as you went
12:12out to do our nation's business. I'd like to now share an operational update. Our Joint Force continues
12:18to focus on our military objectives as we systematically continue to degrade and destroy Iran's ability to
12:25project power and threaten stability beyond its borders. First, the Joint Force continues to destroy
12:32Iran's ballistic missile and UAS capabilities. We remain focused on interdicting and destroying the
12:39logistical and supply chains that feed these programs. And this remains a truly joint effort prosecuted
12:46around the clock from air, land, sea, space, and cyberspace. Long-range bombers from U.S. Strategic
12:53Command are coordinating with tactical fighter aircraft from our Joint Force launched from bases around
12:58the region and the continental United States. While simultaneously, Navy fighters from the sea
13:05and sailors continue to project power from the sea while Army and Marine artillery units continue to
13:11execute long-range precision fires deep into enemy territory against high-value targets. Meanwhile,
13:17on the defense side, our Army and Air defenders and aviators, as the Secretary talked about,
13:23remain vigilant, forming a shield to protect our forces and our partners, intercepting missiles and drones.
13:29Together, we continue to deliver precision strikes against key manufacturing nodes, component storage
13:36sites, research facilities deep within Iranian territory. And over the past 29, I'm sorry, 30 days,
13:44we've struck more than 11,000 targets. Given the increase in air superiority, we've successfully
13:50started to conduct the first overland B-52 missions, which allow us, as we've said before, to continue to
13:58get on top of the enemy. And as the Secretary talked about, switch towards more and more dynamic targets,
14:07servicing mobile targets around the battle space.
14:11We've continued to do the work against Iran's missile, drone, and naval production facilities,
14:17and we continue the multi-domain pressure that we've talked about. Second, on the Navy front,
14:22we continue to assert dominance over the Iranian Navy. We remain focused on targeting their mine lane
14:29capability, their naval assets, and we've now, as I mentioned briefly last time, started to work attack
14:35helicopters and other close air support assets into the naval domain. CENTCOM continues to identify and
14:42work against naval depots and storage areas. And we've taken out, again, more than 150 ships,
14:49including all Jameran class frigates inside their Navy. Third, we continue to prosecute our campaign
14:56against our defense industrial base at scale. This includes factories, warehouses, nuclear weapons,
15:02research, and development labs, and the associated infrastructure required for Iran to reconstitute
15:09its combat capability. I'd like to continue my theme of highlighting the incredible contributions
15:16of Americans to our joint force. Today, I want to talk a little bit about a different front line,
15:23a line that doesn't have bunkers or guard posts, but is just as critical to our nation's security,
15:29our national assembly lines. Today, I want to recognize a group of Americans who live at the
15:35beginning of our nation's combat power, the Americans who actually make our weapons both
15:40inside our defense industrial base, but even more broadly inside our national industrial base.
15:47In every military option, we could not and cannot do our jobs without the men and women across our
15:54country who show up every day around the clock to a factory floor, a workshop, a laboratory,
16:02who build the weapons and capabilities we need to project American combat power at the time and place
16:09of our choosing. These great Americans, and I've had a chance to spend some time with them when I was
16:14in the private sector, are the core of American combat power. They're the machinists running high-tech
16:20CNC machines cutting raw blocks of metal into incredibly precise parts. They're the assembly
16:27workers painstakingly taking a kit of parts and turning that into a complex guidance system
16:32or precision munition or a rocket motor or building a jet or submarine. Or there are quality assurance
16:40technicians who ensure that when a warfighter pulls a trigger, the weapon works every time.
16:48This can be and is tough and gritty work. It's not a quiet office and a desk with paper and
16:55there's
16:55nothing wrong with that, but this is exactly the way this group of Americans likes it. I know this.
17:01I've seen it myself and I remain deeply honored by that gift. It's often loud and dangerous work demanding
17:08that requires absolute focus for hours at a time with deep commitment to get it right every single
17:15time. It's hands-on work where one uncaught mistake or deviation can put an American's life at risk.
17:23A single misplaced wire, a microscopic flaw, and a weld incorrectly calibrated sensor could mean the
17:30difference between mission success or mission failure. The difference is measured in the lives of
17:36our sons and daughters who we put out around the field and on the field of battle. We rely on
17:42and trust in
17:43these great Americans. And it's not just their manufacturing skill, it's their innovative minds
17:49and their entrepreneurial spirit. From those who build exquisite capabilities down to the mom and pop
17:56machine shops all over this great country. They live at the beginning of and the core of America's
18:03combat capability. Constantly adapting, constantly improving, constantly learning. And there are
18:10examples of this throughout history and current days, to include building things like the F-117
18:17stealth fighter, the B-2 stealth bomber, making our combat capability undetectable over the enemy,
18:24to today's B-21 and F-47. It's work like in the shipyards of the East Coast and Northeast
18:31side of the United States that go out and build America's nuclear submarines that allow us to patrol
18:37around the world at the time and place of our choosing. These innovators, these workers, these
18:43incredible Americans don't get the same glory as a fighter pilot returning to a carrier deck at night
18:49or an artilleryman sending rounds downrange. And yet they show up every single day and without them
18:57we could not do the work that we are tasked to do. 24-7 they build the tools that we
19:03need to do our
19:04business. The skill, the commitment, the patriotism, the dedication poured into every piece of combat
19:12capability and hardware is seen and felt out at the edge of the force, as the secretary talked about
19:20those young bomb builders out in the desert that he had the chance to see. You can see it, you
19:26can feel
19:27it and it's real and we're deeply grateful. So to the American workforce out there both inside our
19:34defense industrial base and international industrial base, thank you on behalf of the joint force. We
19:41carry the weapons that you build, we rely on the systems that you create and the distance from that
19:47factory floor and that assembly line to the front line is incredibly short. Thank you, keep it up. And to
19:54our adversaries out there, I remind you to beware of the American workforce. We continue to press forward
20:02in our military objectives. The secretary and I remain deeply humbled by the spirit, tenacity,
20:08commitment and grit of our 2.8 million member strong joint force. I want to as always thank the force
20:14and their families and as always remember our fallen. We carry with them and their names every day. Sir,
20:21I'll turn it back over to you. Absolutely. Well, thank you, Mr. Chairman. Two things. He didn't
20:25note it, but in memory of Colonel Bud Anderson, the chairman himself flew his F-16 to honor him
20:31recently. And thank you for highlighting the defense industrial base, the arsenal of freedom. It's worth
20:35noting no one has rebuilt that defense industrial base faster and with more purpose than President
20:40Trump in his first term. And now we're rebuilding the arsenal of freedom. Our defense industrial base is
20:46more vibrant today than it's been since World War II and growing rapidly. Contrast that with Iran,
20:52whose defense industrial base is nearly completely destroyed. Their ability to reconstitute the weapons
20:59of war they're using now that they're hiding in underground facilities and attriding over time,
21:03their ability to rebuild that is negligible. And I think that contrast is an enduring legacy of this as
21:09well. Right here. Thank you for your time. We've had some signaling that the U.S. will retake
21:16control of the Strait of Hormuz. At that point, what military posture will be imposed to guarantee safe
21:22passage for our allies, deter our enemies, and demonstrate U.S. dominance in the region? And also,
21:30can you speak to how much America's adversaries, Russia, China, North Korea, how much they're supporting
21:37Iran's war machine at this point with arms and intelligence and what we are militarily doing to
21:43punish the enemy coalition? Appreciate both questions. On the Strait of Hormuz, there are many
21:49more vessels flowing through today than there were, as the President has arranged. The President's been
21:54clear to Iran, open it for business, or we have options, and we certainly do. And when you look at
21:59what
21:59the Chairman laid out with the Navy, with the Navy industrial base, with coastal cruise missiles, with UAVs,
22:03with countermine capabilities, we've been focused from the beginning on a trading and defeating
22:08those capabilities and limiting their options. There's lots we're doing as well, some of which is
22:14known, some of which is not known, to set the conditions. And I think the President was clear
22:17this morning in his truth that there are countries around the world who ought to be prepared to step up
22:25on this critical waterway as well. It's not just the United States Navy. Last time I checked, there was
22:31supposed to be a big bad Royal Navy that could be prepared to do things like that as well.
22:35So he's pointing out, this is an international waterway that we use less than most, in fact,
22:39dramatically less than most. So the world ought to pay attention and be prepared to stand up.
22:43President Trump's been willing to do the heavy lifting on behalf of the free world to address
22:47this threat of Iran. It's not just our problem set going forward, even though we have done the
22:52lion's share of preparation to ensure that that strait will be open, which is an outcome
22:57that the President's been very clear on. As far as Russia and China, we know exactly what they're
23:01doing, what they are or are not doing. We don't have to air publicly what all of that is. But
23:07where
23:07necessary, we're addressing it, we're mitigating it, and or we're confronting it head on. I don't
23:13know if you have anything you want to add.
23:13No, sir. I think you covered it.
23:15Do you have any timeline for operability in the strait?
23:18Thank you, Mr. Secretary. David Zier, Real America's Voice. And I witnessed that enthusiasm
23:23on the lines and our submarine builders and the ironworks. It's unbelievable. But I just wanted to
23:29ask you, what's the status of the delivery of any hardened bunkers for additional protection for our
23:36troops? And without getting too specific, what kind of measures are we taking to protect some of the
23:41larger, more strategic aircraft like the sentry and other?
23:45Well, it's great. Great question. I'll say what I witnessed where I went was a
23:52completely locked in discipline of bunker use and bunker improvement. So from the beginning,
23:59as we stated very clearly, the first thing we did was set up a defense and make sure our defensive
24:03capabilities were maxed out before any of this even started. That included fortifications as much as
24:09possible. But it also included disbursement. If all of our people are in one place, you could imagine
24:14why that's a big problem. So dispersing is part of that defeat. Alongside that disbursement is more
24:20and more bunkers. And I can tell you, talking to base commanders, talking to our allies in Israel,
24:25talking to others, rapidly fielding that and then improving those positions is a theater priority,
24:30no doubt, as are the air defenses and the layered air defenses. It's not just patriots and thads,
24:36it's fighters and defensive caps, it's other kinetic defeat systems, it's electronic warfare.
24:41So the defense of our of our troops and our assets is is max. I will say on on some
24:46of those other
24:47assets you talked about air wings, airframes, there's there's some things adversaries are doing
24:52to provide info and intel that they shouldn't. We're aware of it. And ultimately, we move things around
24:58and don't one of the biggest principles you learn in the military is to not set patterns,
25:04predictable patterns. And so we're commanders are working hard to adjust in real time with those
25:09systems and make sure they're in the right places and not easily targetable. Jillian.
25:14Thanks, Mr. Secretary. The U.S. and Iran appear right now publicly to disagree about whether there
25:19are these negotiations ongoing. What impact does that have on military strategy? Does it have any bearing
25:26at all? And general, the president wrote yesterday that the U.S. might destroy Iran's electricity generating
25:36plants and oil wells? Those are his words before ending this operation. Is there a way to do either
25:42of those things without like seriously jeopardizing or seriously harming civilians?
25:51So on the talks, I can tell you, having been with with Steve and Jared and the vice president and
25:57many Marco and many others yesterday, they are very real. They are ongoing. They're active. And I think
26:03gaining strength. And we appreciate that. As I said in my remarks, we would much prefer to get a deal.
26:09If Iran was willing to relinquish material they have and ambitions they have open this. Great. That's the goal.
26:16We don't want to have to do more militarily than we have to. But I didn't mean it flippantly when
26:21I said in the meantime, we'll negotiate with bombs. Our job is to ensure that we compel Iran
26:25to realize that this new regime, this regime in charge, is in a better place if they make that deal.
26:32And so we'll continue. We're working hand in hand. But the primary effort is a deal. We want that deal
26:37to be accomplished if at all possible. If not, then we're prepared to continue.
26:41Secretary, what happened at this time? Go ahead, Mr. Chairman.
26:44Yeah. Thanks for the question. We're always thinking about those considerations and develop
26:51options to be able to mitigate those risks pursuant to the normal practices that we do in the military.
26:57Thank you, Mr. Secretary. I know you slightly addressed this already, but just on the Strait of Hormuz,
27:03is opening the Strait an essential objective to Operation Epic Fury? Or is that the job of those other
27:09countries? And then secondly, without asking you to comment on things that you can't talk about,
27:14what is your message to Americans who love the President and strongly believe in him,
27:18but are very worried about this notion of boots on the ground?
27:23Well, first on the Strait of Hormuz, our core objectives from this podium, from day one, from me,
27:30from the Chairman, from the President, from the Vice President, from Secretary Rubio and others have been
27:35clear. Defense missile production and missile programs, so their entire missile program,
27:41defense industrial base and production ability to build, and Navy and power projection. So those
27:47have, and then of course, wrapping it all is Iran's never going to have a nuclear weapon. So those have
27:50been very clear. Defeating the Navy is a core part of ensuring they can't project that kind of power.
27:55But ultimately, I think the President's truth this morning lays that out very well,
27:59that this Strait of Hormuz issue, which we've set the conditions for success, and we will make sure
28:05Iran knows that very clearly, is not just a United States of America problem set. We've been willing
28:11to lead, President Trump's led the entire time, but it's not just us. So ultimately, I think other
28:16countries should pay attention when the President speaks. He's proven that when he speaks, he means
28:20something. And he's pointing out, you know, you might want to start learning how to fight for yourself.
28:26It's something some of us have been saying for quite some time. You can't just have flags,
28:31you have to have formations. You can't just have a few ships, you have enough to affect change.
28:35Those things matter in a dangerous world with ascendant adversaries. That's why the President,
28:40that's why the Chairman's talking about our industrial base. That's why we're launching
28:43the Arsenal of Freedom Tour to revive our defense industrial base. President Trump doing it in a way that
28:48nobody else has. As far as President Trump and boots on the ground, I don't understand why the base,
28:55which they have already, they understand, wouldn't have faith in his ability to execute on this. Look
29:00at his track record of pursuing peace through strength, America first outcomes. And what he's
29:06simply saying, and it's exactly true, and I've said from this podium too, we're not going to foreclose
29:11any option. You can't fight and win a war if you tell your adversary what you are willing to do
29:16or what
29:17you are not willing to do to include boots on the ground. Our adversary right now thinks there are 15
29:23different ways we could come at them with boots on the ground. And guess what? There are. So if we
29:28needed to, we could execute those options on behalf of the President of the United States and this
29:32department. Or maybe we don't have to use them at all. Maybe negotiations work, or maybe there's a
29:38different approach. The point is to be unpredictable in that. Certainly not let anybody know what you're
29:42willing to do or not do. But if anybody has internalized the lessons of Iraq and Afghanistan as the
29:48first one, President Trump, to call them out for what they are, he's not going to repeat those
29:52lessons. And I think I've been very clear about that from the podium.
29:55Thank you, Secretary Hexth. A question for you and then a question for General Cain.
30:00You said we're a month into the Operation Epic Fury. How long until the objectives are achieved?
30:06And is there a scenario where a deal is struck before the objectives have been achieved? And then for
30:12General Cain, there's been lots of media coverage that suggested a ground invasion is imminent.
30:18What other purposes might the soldiers and the Marines who have been deployed over to the Middle
30:23East serve in this conflict? Well, just like the previous question, it's sort of military 101.
30:31Don't tell your enemy what you're willing to do or not do. And don't tell your enemy when you're
30:36willing to stop, especially an enemy that likes to hide in bunkers and try to hoard their missiles and
30:40hope you'll wait you out. So that's not a question I'm going to answer or or the president has said
30:46definitively we have our own goals and guidance and things were military objectives that we're moving
30:51toward and things that we look at. And as he's articulated, you know, he said four to six weeks,
30:56six to eight weeks, three. It could be any any particular number, but we would never reveal
31:01precisely what it is because our goal is to finish those objectives. And we're well on our way. And the
31:09president's determination and the president's determination alone, uh, when those objectives
31:14are complete and when it serves the interest of the American people to cut that deal, to make sure
31:19that Iran doesn't have a nuclear capability, uh, and, and ultimately that our objectives are our
31:25interests are advanced. I don't know if you want to add anything. No, just to answer your question,
31:30Reagan, you know, the, the range of military options that those forces can offer are extensive,
31:36not just limited to what you, you mentioned in terms of forces on the ground. And I wouldn't
31:41want to take away the president's decision space, but there are a multitude of things,
31:46not the least of which is Iran should note that they're out there and that they, they are a pressure
31:52point. And, uh, uh, so they should carefully consider, I think at the diplomatic level, not,
31:58not my job as a chairman, but at the diplomatic level to consider what's in front of them.
32:02Jerry. Okay. Uh, Mr. Secretary, um, the U.S. government, I see assessed for many years that
32:11Iran is protecting Al Qaeda senior leaders, including the current Amir Saif al-Aidul.
32:18Um, does the U.S. assess that he's still in Iran? Has he fled to Afghanistan? Is he on a
32:25target list?
32:26And, uh, and Mr. Chairman, um, based on CENTCOM figures and open source, Iranian daily missile
32:35barrages and drone launches have indeed dropped dramatically since the start of the war, but
32:41they're not at zero. And they seem to have maintained some level of low but stable numbers.
32:49Perhaps they've dropped a little bit more in recent days. How do we get that closer to zero?
32:56And what impact is Iran's degraded but still very real capability impacting current and future
33:04operations? So I won't speak to a particular target. I'll just say that Al Qaeda remains our enemy,
33:09obviously. Uh, and there are a lot of people on our target, uh, list in Iran. And if they were
33:15to
33:15be harboring Al Qaeda, they would certainly fit that list. Uh, just, just quickly, um, you know,
33:20the, the mobile targets that they have that we continue to service as a secretary talked about
33:25the 200 hits that were done last night. That's one component of continuing to lower that. The second
33:32and more long term impact that we're having is the strikes against their defense industrial base at
33:38scale, which will not allow them to reload after that. So we do continue to see a trend down.
33:44They are still shooting and we do continue to exert significant pressure against both sides of that
33:49system. Um, Secretary, thank you for the question. Do you still believe, you'd said previously,
33:55that the Iranian leadership would surrender? Do you still believe that? And is the United States still
34:01committed to NATO's collective defense and to Chairman McCain? Um, could you give us a sense of your
34:07thinking about the legality of striking desalinization plans if the president were to order that?
34:14I will just say that any, any mission that ends on our terms, you're going to call it a surrender,
34:19call it a defeat, call it what you want. We remain committed to it. Uh, a conflict that ends on
34:23our
34:23terms and the president's terms. Uh, there's no doubt about that. And as far as NATO is concerned,
34:28that's a decision that'll be left to the president. But I'll just say, um, a lot has been laid bare.
34:33A lot has been shown to the world about what our allies would be willing to do
34:38for the United States of America when we undertake an effort of this scope on behalf of the free world.
34:43These are missiles that don't even range the United States of America. They range
34:46allies and others. And, and yet when we ask for additional assistance or simple
34:52access basing and overflight, we get questions or roadblocks or hesitations. And the president's
34:58pointing out, you don't have much of an, uh, an alliance if you have countries that are not
35:03willing to stand with you when you need them. He's simply pointing that out. Uh, and ultimately
35:07it'll be his decision of what that looks like after this is complete. Um, I'll, I'll just,
35:11I won't talk about any particular target. This really builds on Jillian's question too,
35:15that I don't think I completely answered, but you know, the joint force is the most professional
35:20force in the world. And we have numerous processes and system to carefully consider the whole range of
35:26considerations from civilian risk to legal considerations with any target. And as targets
35:32come before us, we run them through the same process that we always do and always strike,
35:37uh, lawful targets, uh, in accordance with the normal procedures that we use.
35:49Thank you, Mr. Secretary. Thank you. I appreciate it. On Sunday, President Trump said that Iran's first
35:54regime was all destroyed. And the second one is mostly dead. The third regime that we're on right
35:59now has been much more reasonable in negotiations. Do you agree with that assessment and why?
36:04I would defer to the negotiating team there. They're the ones talking to him,
36:07but they're getting a back and forth on on terms, which is which is a productive development. We stand
36:12right there next to our negotiating team, uh, always willing and prepared to put them in an even
36:17better position. Thank you very much. I appreciate it. Thank you. Thank you.
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