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00:15Well good morning and as you may have noticed the chairman and I are joined today by the CENTCOM
00:21commander Admiral Bradley Cooper. He just returned from the front lines to see the
00:25troops and meet with allies and this morning briefed us just before this briefing on the
00:30latest on all aspects of Operation Epic Fury. So after the chairman concludes we'll ask Admiral
00:36Cooper to share a quick update on the ground truth from his trip to the region as he continues
00:42to implement an ironclad blockade and ensures that our forces are maximally postured to restart
00:48combat operations should this new Iranian regime choose poorly and not agree to a deal.
00:56And that is what we urge this morning that this new Iranian regime choose wisely which
01:02is where we'll start with a message to Iran's military leadership. To the KH leadership and
01:10IRGC leadership we're watching you. Our capabilities are not the same our military and yours. Remember
01:17this is not a fair fight and we know what military assets you are moving and where you are moving
01:23them to. While you are digging out which is exactly what you're doing digging out of bombed out and
01:31devastated facilities we are only getting stronger. You are digging out your remaining launchers and
01:37missiles with no ability to replace them. You have no defense industry. No ability to replenish your
01:44offensive or defensive capabilities. You only have what you have. You know that and we know that.
01:52You can move things around but you can't actually rebuild. You can dig out for now but you can't
01:59reconstitute. But we can. We are reloading with more power than ever before and better intelligence.
02:07Even more importantly better intelligence than ever before as you expose yourself with your movement
02:12to our watchful eye. We are locked and loaded on your critical dual use infrastructure on your
02:22remaining power generation and on your energy industry. We'd rather not have to do it but we're
02:29ready to go at the command of our president and at the push of a button. This blockade which the
02:35chairman
02:36will detail this morning is the polite way that this can go. Your energy is not moving and will not
02:43move and we can do this all day. But it's not destroyed yet. Your energy industry is not destroyed
02:49yet. You'd like to say publicly Iran that you control the Strait of Hormuz but you don't have a navy
02:57or real domain awareness. You can't control anything. To be clear threatening to shoot missiles
03:06and drones at ships commercial ships that are lawfully transiting international waters that is
03:13not control. That's piracy. That's terrorism. The United States Navy controls the traffic going in and
03:23out of the strait because we have real assets and real capabilities and we're doing this blockade
03:29performing it with less than 10% of America's naval power. The math is clear. We're using 10% of
03:38the world's
03:38most powerful navy and you have 0% of your navy. That's real control and we have a long track
03:47record of
03:47dealing with pirates and terrorists. But there is an alternative. As our negotiators have said
03:54you Iran can choose a prosperous future. A golden bridge and we hope that you do for the people of
04:01Iran. In the meantime and for as long as it takes we will maintain this blockade. Successful blockade.
04:07But if Iran chooses poorly then they will have a blockade and bombs dropping on infrastructure power
04:16and energy. And at the same time Treasury Secretary Scott Besson and our friends over at Treasury
04:23are launching Operation Economic Fury as well. Maximizing economic pressure across the entirety
04:30of the government. To Iran choose wisely. The world watched and so did you as the US military moved
04:39seamlessly from major combat operations to a world-class blockade. We can make that transition
04:44again very quickly and even more powerfully than ever. At the direction of President Trump
04:51the War Department will ensure that Iran never has a nuclear weapon. Never. We'd prefer to do it the nice
04:58way through a deal led by our great Vice President and negotiating team or we can do it the hard
05:05way.
05:05We urge this new regime to choose wisely. Speaking of choosing wisely, a note to the press, to the press
05:17corps,
05:18to the American media. As I just can't help but notice the endless stream of garbage, the relentlessly
05:27negative coverage. You cannot resist peddling. Despite the historic and important success of this effort and the success of our
05:38troops.
05:39Sometimes it's hard to figure out what side some of you are actually on. It's incredibly unpatriotic. This same press
05:49corps,
05:49not this exact same press corps, but at least an older press corps bent over backwards during the Biden administration
05:56to explain away, you explained away the disastrous and disgraceful Afghanistan withdrawal.
06:03You called it the greatest airlift in American history. It's almost like you're cheering only for one side.
06:12This past Sunday, I was sitting in church with my family and our minister preached from the book of Mark,
06:20the third chapter.
06:21And in the passage, Jesus entered a synagogue and healed a man with a withered hand.
06:28The Pharisees came to watch. And as the scripture reads, they came to see whether he, Jesus, would heal him
06:36or he would heal him on the Sabbath so that they might accuse him.
06:42You see, the Pharisees, the so-called and self-appointed elites of their time, they were there to witness, to
06:51write everything down, to report.
06:54But their hearts were hardened. Even though they witnessed a literal miracle, it didn't matter.
07:01They were only there to explain away the goodness in pursuit of their agenda.
07:08As the passage ends, the Pharisees went out and immediately held counsel against him, how to destroy him.
07:14I sat there in church and I thought, our press are just like these Pharisees.
07:20Not all of you. Not all of you.
07:24But the legacy Trump hating press.
07:28Your politically motivated animus for President Trump nearly completely blinds you from the brilliance of our American warriors.
07:38The Pharisees scrutinized every good act in order to find a violation, only looking for the negative.
07:48The hardened hearts of our press are calibrated only to impugn.
07:53I would ask you to open your eyes to the goodness, the historic success of our troops, the courage of
08:01this president and this historic moment for a deal that could end the Iranian nuclear threat.
08:07But the incredible battlefield victory laid before your eyes.
08:12The not one, but two incredible rescue missions.
08:17Miracles, you might say.
08:20Or a locked in blockade.
08:22Or how about historic recruiting numbers?
08:25Yesterday, we announced that the Air Force and the Space Force met new higher goals in FY26, five months in
08:32advance of the end of the fiscal year.
08:34Five months ahead of time.
08:35The Marine Corps and the Army will soon do the same.
08:38Two, three years ago, we couldn't meet lower recruiting numbers.
08:41Not even close.
08:43Where are the reports on that?
08:44Where's the coverage of the new spirit in the country?
08:47The new spirit in the ranks?
08:49The surge of Americans wanting to join the greatest military in the world?
08:53Nothing from the fake news.
08:56We sense a pattern.
08:58You see, on the battlefield, these are demonstrations of uniquely American capabilities, strength and resolve.
09:05It's all around you each and every day.
09:07But in the press, you only seek the negative, earning each and every day the fake news label.
09:15But the American people, with goodness in their hearts, see past the Pharisees in our press.
09:24They see the goodness.
09:25You, watching, you see the goodness.
09:27They see the success.
09:29They see the reality.
09:31And they don't demand perfection.
09:33And perfection is not possible on any battlefield.
09:37But they see the incredible feats that our troops accomplish every single day.
09:43So to those troops, stay focused.
09:47Block out the noise.
09:49Stay aggressive.
09:50You are showing the world what it means to be an American warrior.
09:54You are making this building and the American people proud.
09:58We pray for you every day and we have your back in every way.
10:03And to Iran, choose wisely.
10:08I pray you choose a deal which is within your grasp for the betterment of your people and for the
10:14betterment of the world.
10:16In the meantime, the War Department is locked and loaded.
10:22Mr. Chairman, over to you.
10:24Thank you, Mr. Secretary.
10:25And good morning, ladies and gentlemen.
10:27Thank you for being here today.
10:28Last week, the President of the United States directed a ceasefire that temporarily paused major combat operations in Iran.
10:35The unprecedented effort by America's Joint Force during Operation Epic Fury set the conditions for this ceasefire.
10:42And as the Secretary said, I'd like to emphasize during this pause that the United States Joint Force remains postured
10:50and ready to resume major combat operations at literally a moment's notice.
10:55This morning, I'd like to give you an update on the ongoing blockade in the CENTCOM AOR area of responsibility.
11:04On Monday, 13 April, at 10 a.m. Eastern Standard Time, at the direction of the President, America's Joint Force
11:12began implementing a blockade against Iran under the leadership of Admiral Cooper and the team at CENTCOM.
11:20Let me be clear, this blockade applies to all ships, regardless of nationality, heading into or from Iranian ports.
11:33The U.S. action is a blockade of Iran's ports and coastline, not a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
11:41Enforcement will occur inside Iran's territorial seas and in international waters.
11:49In addition to this blockade, the Joint Force, through operations and activities in other areas of responsibility, like the Pacific
12:00area of responsibility, under the command of Admiral Paparo, will actively pursue any Iranian-flagged vessel,
12:09or any vessel attempting to provide material support to Iran.
12:15This includes dark fleet vessels carrying Iranian oil.
12:19As most of you know, dark fleet vessels are those illicit or illegal ships evading international regulations, sanctions or insurance
12:28requirements.
12:29More than 10,000 sailors, Marines, and airmen over a dozen ships and dozens of aircraft are executing this mission.
12:39And let me walk you through this operation a little bit. Please go to the first line.
12:44First to the graphic. This is taken before the blockade began. North is up. You can see the blockade line
12:52here in the center of the graphic denoted by the red dashed line.
12:57This map is a pull from our common operating picture that we use to allow commanders and key leaders to
13:07see what is happening in near real time.
13:10We just grabbed screen grabs to highlight the actions and activities.
13:15What is not shown is how incredibly congested this area is and the incredible work that our sailors are doing
13:24to ensure that they can work in and around an incredibly busy water space.
13:31What is also not depicted here is the massive force of fighters, intelligence aircraft, helicopters, and other embarked forces to
13:43include aerial refueling tankers that are up overhead this blockade area.
13:49You'll note that the U.S. forces are in blue. Iranian ships are in red.
13:57And as we started this blockade, there were seven ships of interest that were of concern for U.S. Central
14:06Command.
14:07Through a variety of intelligence tools and with the assistance of the Office of Naval Intelligence and other intelligence agencies,
14:16the force began to hunt for potential interdictors at 10 a.m. Eastern Standard Time.
14:24Next slide, please.
14:25It's now 1240 Eastern Daylight Time, two hours and 40 minutes into the blockade as attempted blockade runners attempt to
14:35hop the line.
14:37U.S. forces began to commit.
14:40Out in front of them was a range of intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and tactical assets.
14:46And immediately, these runners began to see, sense, and feel America's combat power compressing upon them.
14:56The lead ship, normally a destroyer as depicted here, along with air power off of the USS Abraham Lincoln Strike
15:04Group, began to move towards those ships.
15:10At each point, the United States Navy will transmit a warning.
15:16A young sailor, normally on the bridge of one of those destroyers, a junior officer, picks up that mic and
15:23transmits, and I quote,
15:24Do not attempt to breach the blockade.
15:27Vessels will be boarded for interdiction and seizure, transiting to or from Iranian ports.
15:35Turn around or prepare to be boarded.
15:39If you do not comply with this blockade, we will use force.
15:44And as this message is being transmitted, as I mentioned earlier, those ship masters can literally see, sense, and feel
15:52the pressure around them.
15:53It's a finely tuned machine, rehearsed multiple times, and executed now 13 times since the blockade has begun.
16:03Next slide, please.
16:05We're now 24 hours plus into the blockade.
16:09You can see the turning around of multiple ships, 12 of which stayed inside the blockade line, one of which
16:16not depicted off to the eastern side, turned around before even attempting it.
16:22Any ship that would cross the blockade would result in our sailors executing pre-planned tactics designed to bring the
16:31force to that ship, if need be, board the ship and take her over.
16:36And that includes a series of escalated force options, which could include warning shots and others.
16:43Next slide.
16:44The final graphic shows taken at 11.20 p.m. the night of 14 April.
16:51You can see that the captains of all these ships have made the wise decision not to move, transit, or
16:59run this blockade.
17:01As I mentioned, so far 13 ships have made the wise choice of turning around.
17:07And as we continue to hold this blockade at the order of the Secretary and the President, any vessel that
17:12compares to comply with our instructions will be dealt with accordingly.
17:17As of this morning, U.S. Central Command has not been required to board any particular ships.
17:25And I'll remind you that we are also conducting similar maritime interdiction actions and activities in the Pacific AOR against
17:36those ships that left that area before we began the blockade.
17:40Before I turn it over to Admiral Cooper, I want to talk briefly today about the men and women enforcing
17:47the blockade, America's sailors and Marines, and today particularly our destroyer and surface forces.
17:54When we talk about an American destroyer, it's important that you and the American people understand their capabilities.
18:01An Arleigh Burke class destroyer are the backbone of the United States Navy surface fleet.
18:07Over 500 feet long, they displace 9,000 tons, and it is the sports car of the United States Navy.
18:16From the keel to the mast, they stand nearly 10 stories tall, and their four gas turbine engines can drive
18:24the ship at 30 plus knots.
18:26These ships are armed to the teeth with surface air missiles, land attack cruise missiles, anti-ship missiles, anti-submarine
18:35rockets, torpedoes, 5-inch naval guns, multiple electronic warfare systems, embarked helicopters, extending the reach and capability of each and
18:46every one of these destroyers.
18:48But far and away, the most important weapon on board these ships is the American sailor.
18:55Over 300 war fighters are the heart and soul of these warships.
18:59At sea, sometimes for months, and these ships out in the CENTCOM AOR have been out there for months, they
19:07operate around the clock in a constant state of readiness, always delivering for our joint force.
19:13It's hot in the engine room, the engineering team keeps the lights on and the ship powered and able to
19:20respond to the orders from the bridge.
19:23On that bridge, our sailors maintain a constant watch, maneuvering the ship tactically and safely through always congested water space.
19:33And there is a lot out there.
19:35It is like driving a sports car through a supermarket parking lot on a payday weekend with thousands of kids
19:43in that parking lot as you attempt to maneuver through there to get to that ship that would attempt to
19:49run that blockade.
19:52And down in the combat information center, the CIC, the tactical warfare center of the ship, that is where the
19:59decisions are made.
20:00As threats appear, these young sailors are making real time decisions on how to identify these threats and handle them,
20:08and they always deliver.
20:10These ships are run by the youngest sailors in our surface warfare navy.
20:17The helmsman, the sailor on the watch at the bridge, is normally just between 18 to 19 years old, and
20:26they are trusted to drive this warship through that supermarket parking lot without hitting anything.
20:32The conning officer, an equally young commissioned officer who's normally just a few years out of college, is the ones
20:41that are giving that young helmsman the orders on where to take that American warship to execute the mission that
20:48the secretary and the president has given us.
20:52These are incredibly well-trained sailors.
20:56They are led by incredible leaders, salty, experienced leaders, and trusted with deep responsibility.
21:03And I'm so humbled and proud of America's Navy.
21:07These sailors choose to take the road less traveled, to go into the historic surface navy, and they deliver every
21:15single day.
21:17Finally, as I often do, I want to highlight one of those surface sailors today and remember our fallen.
21:23Today, we remember Ensign Robert Thompson of the U.S. Laffey, who died on this day in 1945 in the
21:31Battle of Okinawa.
21:32He was killed while fighting a fire along with 31 others as two Japanese kamikaze aircraft hit their ship.
21:40He passed away one week after his 22nd birthday and was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross.
21:47We remember Ensign Thompson today and all of our World War II vets who continue to give us the gift
21:53of a great example.
21:54And those surface warfare sailors who are out there doing the job right now take the courage, grit, and determination
22:03that those World War II vets gave us into these actions and activities that they're tasked to do every single
22:10day.
22:11So now I'd like to turn it over to Admiral Cooper to give us a readout of his recent trip
22:16to the region.
22:20Well, good morning.
22:21And, Mr. Secretary, thank you for the kind invitation.
22:24And, Chairman, great to join you.
22:25It's a real honor to be here representing the more than 50,000 American service members deployed throughout the Middle
22:31East today supporting operations.
22:33And it's great to have the opportunity to highlight the tremendous efforts our warfighters operating forward and the important partnerships
22:41with regional allies that continue to thrive.
22:44In fact, yesterday I returned for my second trip to the Middle East in the past 15 days.
22:49Two very different visits.
22:50One during our offensive operations against Iran and the second in this most recent trip during the ongoing ceasefire.
22:56Very different.
22:58During both of my recent trips, I visited with our troops who were deployed across the region in more than
23:0370 different locations,
23:05an existence that largely spans between Florida and Arizona.
23:09I've long believed that every success that we have starts and ends with our people.
23:14And, boy, does this shine through brightly.
23:16During these visits, I had the privilege of personally recognizing more than 100 servicemen and women for their extraordinary valor,
23:22their courage, and their initiative under fire and delivering fire.
23:27And every time I interact with these young men and women downrange,
23:30I am deeply inspired by their courage, their resilience, and their unwavering commitment.
23:36The stories are remarkable.
23:37In many cases, you've seen this play out over TV.
23:40Fighter pilots who took out Iranian missile launchers in the moments prior to their launch against Americans and our partners,
23:46and who hit key military targets in and around Tehran on the attack more than 13,000 times.
23:54I met with some of the teams that helped to bring our F-15 airmen home safely from Iran and
23:58heard first-person accounts of the stories.
24:01Absolute heroes.
24:02I spent time with our troops who were employing cutting-edge tactics and technology for the first time in warfare.
24:08I won't be able to talk about what those are, but these young men and women are breaking new ground.
24:12It's incredibly inspiring.
24:15I met with teams who launched our own one-way attack drones into Iran.
24:19These were originally Iranian-designed drones.
24:21We brought them back to America, took the guts out, put a Made American stamp on them, and fired them
24:25right back to Iran.
24:26Very effective.
24:27I met with teams who were employing AI every single day to help us sift through vast amounts of information
24:33to help us make decisions faster.
24:35And importantly, humans are always in the loop in this process.
24:38I met with our Space Force teams and our cyber specialists whose work cannot be discussed, but who serve with
24:45indispensable impact.
24:47I met with our logisticians and sustainers all over the region.
24:51There is just no military that executes logistics like the U.S. military.
24:55This group is doing exceptional work, moving thousands of tons every single day.
25:01I met with our air defenders who shot down Iranian ballistic missiles.
25:05My message for this group in particular is that their actions most certainly saved thousands of lives across the Middle
25:13East during Epic Fury.
25:14And all told, my personal assessment is, after these couple of trips, is our troops are highly motivated, they're focused,
25:21they're vigilant, and they're ready.
25:23And they're using this time to do a couple of things.
25:25We're rearming.
25:27We're retooling and we're adjusting our tactics, techniques, and procedures.
25:30There's no military in the world that adjusts like we do, and that's exactly what we're doing right now during
25:35the ceasefire.
25:36A little note about partners.
25:38My discussion with regional allies and partners, both at the senior civilian level and the senior military level, reinforced our
25:45shared commitment to regional security.
25:47But beyond that, having now fought together, side by side, I assess that our military partnerships are stronger than ever,
25:54as we continue to maintain a very active defense posture across the region during this ceasefire.
26:00And that posture stretches across the entire Arabian Peninsula, and it runs from northern Iraq all the way down into
26:06the northern Arabian Gulf.
26:07In creating the largest air defense umbrella in the world across the Middle East, we embedded specially trained U.S.
26:14military air defenders alongside our partner nation soldiers.
26:17Side by side, literally side by side.
26:20And to give you a sense of their contribution and impact, the King and Crown Pence of Bahrain both personally
26:26knew our soldiers by name.
26:29These leaders expressed appreciation for our service member who continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with our partners in support
26:35of regional defense.
26:36And this is a sentiment that is widely shared across every Gulf ally.
26:41I heard this message over and over again, which is, we stand with you.
26:45As the secretary and the chairman have said, Bahrain, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, and Jordan have been exceptional teammates.
26:53I had a chance to meet with both their senior leadership as well as their troops.
26:56Boy, equally inspiring and equally committed to mutual defense.
27:00They defended Americans and they defended their own country.
27:03It was inspiring.
27:04And there's been no better teammate than Israel.
27:07Together, the four best air forces in the world, the Israeli Air Force, the U.S. Air Force, and the
27:13air forces of the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps, together met and exceeded our own military objectives
27:19over and over again.
27:21Twice in the past two weeks, I've met with the Israeli chief of defense to ensure that we remain closely
27:26aligned, and we do.
27:28And then finally, let me just close by saluting the brave men and women who are in uniform and who
27:34continue to answer the call with unrivaled lethality, great teamwork, and resolve.
27:40We've asked them to stay ready during this period, and that's exactly what they're doing.
27:44I couldn't be prouder, and I know that you and the American people share in that same pride.
27:48Thank you as much.
27:52All right, we'll take a few questions.
27:53Go ahead.
27:56Alexandra Ingersoll, One American News.
27:58How is the Iranians' decimated command and control affecting the ceasefire at this juncture?
28:04Ergo, how are we enforcing a ceasefire with an enemy who has virtually no command and control?
28:10And then one other question about the Houthis being â have the Houthis been an issue in the Straits of
28:18Hormuz and the Bab al-Mandab Strait at the Red Sea?
28:21Are we tracking that militarily?
28:23I appreciate that.
28:26On the ceasefire front, it's right.
28:28Their command and control capabilities are highly degraded, so their ability to talk cease sense is the worst it's ever
28:36been.
28:37But their motivation to want to stay in the ceasefire is very high because they understand that a violation of
28:43that ceasefire means a commencement, once again, of Admiral Cooper's forces, which went very poorly for them.
28:49So they have a high incentive to maintain that ceasefire, even though they can't talk and organize as well as
28:54they'd like to.
28:55And then as far as the Houthis, thus far they have stayed out of it, which, of course, we think
29:01is a good decision by them, and I think is a reflection of the fact that over a year ago
29:05in Operation Rough Rider, we had an ongoing and intense campaign that demonstrated American capabilities, which has them hesitating to
29:16want to do something on that strait, which I think would be a poor choice.
29:20Good morning, Mr. Secretary, gentlemen.
29:22David Zier, Real America's Voice.
29:24As commercial shipping ramps up, you know, there was 130 ships a day going through.
29:29As that happens, ships have to anchor up, right, and wait to pass through the narrow strait.
29:35What does â is there any progress with an international force to phase out U.S. military-led escorts or
29:45other?
29:46Is anyone stepping up to do that?
29:48MR.
29:49It's a great question.
29:50Long term.
29:51MR.
29:51They should be.
29:52There's a lot of talk in what we've seen in this conflict from allies, and those â there's a lot
29:58of talk, except for the ones that were mentioned by Admiral Cooper in the region who have been phenomenal.
30:03Other allies have talked a lot and haven't done anything.
30:05And as the President has pointed out, this is a waterway that the American commerce doesn't use all that much.
30:12We don't rely on the energy coming out of the Strait of Hormuz, but Asia does, and Europe does, and
30:18large parts of the rest of the world do.
30:20And so their ability to muster a collective defense or a clearing of the straits would be a wonderful thing.
30:26And we hear and see the talk about it, but when shots were fired and those countries were needed the
30:32most, they weren't there.
30:33They weren't in the strait.
30:34They weren't alongside us.
30:35Their leaders weren't rallying what they have of their navies.
30:40If they decide after CENTCOM does the heavy lifting â which, again, they should be able to do.
30:45We should live in a world where other countries can defend waterways, not just the United States Navy â should
30:50that conclude, which we believe it will, then we would welcome other countries coming in after the fact.
30:56But you can't live in a world in perpetuity â and this is a message to the rest of the
31:00world and our allies â where you just rely on America to continually do the heavy lifting.
31:04Oh, Iran might get a nuclear bomb.
31:06Who's going to do something about it?
31:07America.
31:07And America only.
31:09Other allies need to invest in their capabilities so they can project power and do basic tasks like clearing a
31:15strait.
31:15So we're not counting on it, but it would be wonderful to see it if it ever materialized.
31:20Yes.
31:20Thank you, Mr. Secretary.
31:21Thank you all for your time.
31:22I have a couple questions.
31:23I know you said a few weeks ago that Iran's Supreme Leader was wounded and disfigured.
31:29Do you have an update on whether he's even alive at this point?
31:32And then another question for you.
31:35Iranian embassy accounts are sharing an AI video of Jesus Christ kind of bloodily killing President Donald Trump.
31:42Does the Pentagon have a response to this, including the fact that this AI Jesus is casting Trump into hell?
31:49And then finally, for Admiral Cooper, could you speak to us about the morale of the American service members that
31:55you're seeing in the Middle East?
31:56I think Americans are really interested in what their experiences and testimonies are like.
32:02As far as the status of the individual you mentioned, I believe it's the same.
32:08Not a lot coming from him right now.
32:10Understandably so.
32:11A lot of fear.
32:13Believed to be alive, wounded and disfigured.
32:15Status remains the same.
32:16As far as a video like that, of course, that's disgusting and detached from reality.
32:21Iran says a lot of things in the propaganda speech based on complete lies and their actions have been lies.
32:28Oh, we don't target.
32:30We see missiles going into civilian facilities and hotels in the Gulf states.
32:35They said we don't we don't we only target military targets as you watch drones and missiles go into.
32:40So they are going to misrepresent lie spin in a multitude of ways, which we are quite used to.
32:47Ultimately, they need to come to the table and make a deal.
32:50And I'll hand it over to Admiral Cooper, please.
32:51Yeah, I would just reiterate my previous comment.
32:54Morale is very high.
32:55And anyone in the military can take about two seconds to figure out what morale looks like by meeting around
33:00it with the people.
33:01And it is crystal clear.
33:02These are motivated young men and women.
33:04I had the wonderful privilege of writing a letter early on in the operation to the team forward.
33:08And I told them this was going to be a mission of extreme consequence and serving at a time where
33:14you are making a difference.
33:17Consequential, as the secretary and the chairman described over and over again, is incredibly and deeply meaningful.
33:22And I think that's a key part of the drive as well as being great teammates across the board.
33:26It's a privilege to watch.
33:28Jerry.
33:29Thank you, Jerry.
33:31I'll leave you with Just News.
33:32I have a couple of questions.
33:34First is some critics of the Trump administration policy, including former NCTC director Joe Kent,
33:44have attempted to claim that the Trump administration's policy of zero enrichment for the Iranians is not actually President Trump's
33:52policy,
33:53but was foisted upon him by the Israelis.
33:58Looking back, doing a bit of a refresher for myself, I saw that zero enrichment was the Trump State Department's
34:05policy in the first admin.
34:06Just stop for a second.
34:07As someone who, unlike the individual you referenced, is in the presence of the president nearly every day
34:13and has been inside every single key meeting that has happened surrounding the idea of Operation Epic Fury,
34:19not a single thing has been foisted upon the president of the United States.
34:25President Trump makes his own decisions about the interests of this country and defending our interests
34:30and then working with allies and partners, in this case, Israel, who's got a lot of will and a lot
34:35of capabilities,
34:36which we're grateful for.
34:37Nothing gets foisted on President Trump.
34:39So those people who are not in those meetings who like to say things about that are just flat wrong.
34:45I have a quick one for Admiral Cooper, if that's okay.
34:48Thank you, sir, and thank you for being here.
34:51So during Operation Epic Fury, 13 U.S. service members have lost their lives,
34:56some of them in an apparent aircraft refueling accident and some of them from Iranian strikes, including a drone strike.
35:04I was wondering if you could share a little bit with us about how those Iranian strikes were able to
35:14be successful,
35:15and what lessons you've learned and how you're applying those lessons in the future to make sure that we're able
35:24to defend a little bit better against that.
35:26Sure, really broad question. But first, we will always honor the fallen and the 13 who lost their lives,
35:31really help steel the resolve and congeal the motivation of the forces that are concerned.
35:36I met many people who knew the fallen personally.
35:40I met many who were reported as wounded and in our back.
35:45Ninety percent of those who have been wounded have been back to duty.
35:47It gives you a sense of purpose and motivation.
35:50We have collected dozens, if not hundreds, of lessons learned.
35:54And as we sit here right now, the joint force across the board is taking them and very tactically applying
35:59them right now, right here, right now.
36:01If I think about a football analogy, if it's halftime or between the third and fourth quarter, great teams are
36:08always adjusting.
36:08And we are certainly a great team.
36:10And that's what we're doing right now, taking the lessons and applying them in a meaningful way.
36:13What those are, I'm not going to talk about.
36:15I'll say they extend also outside of CENTCOM and across the rest of the joint force.
36:20We are a learning organization.
36:21So adversaries around the world should recognize that and be aware of that.
36:25No doubt.
36:26And likewise, I mean, the chairman and I have had the opportunity to greet those 13 and their families at
36:33Dover, and it does steal our resolve.
36:35And I can just attest to the planning that went into every aspect of this and force protection, ensuring that
36:42CENTCOM has whatever it needs
36:44and that they're taking the proper posture has always been a number one in this effort.
36:49Last question.
36:49Thank you, Secretary Hexer.
36:50There's reporting that says U.S. intelligence indicates China is preparing weapons shipments to Iran during this ceasefire.
36:57What's your reaction?
36:58Are these reports accurate?
36:59And what would be the consequences for the Chinese if they move toward with these shipments?
37:04Well, as you know, President Trump has a very strong and direct relationship with President Xi.
37:09And they've communicated on that.
37:11And China has assured us that that indeed is not going to happen.
37:14And in the spirit of the meeting they'll have next month.
37:17Thank you very much.
37:18I appreciate it.
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