00:00Most notably, we degraded Iran's ability to project power outside its borders and threaten the region and threaten our interests.
00:08As an example, we can all remember April and October of 2024, hundreds of Iranian ballistic missiles and drones raining
00:16down in the Middle East.
00:17Just in the 30 months before Epic Fury commenced, Iran and its proxies had been attacking U.S. service members
00:25and diplomats about 350 times.
00:27Can you repeat that?
00:28About every third day, Iran and its proxies attacked American service members 350 times in the Middle East.
00:35Iranian-supported terror groups have attacked U.S. troops and diplomats more than 350 times, the equivalent of attack more
00:43than every third day, killing four U.S. service members and wounding nearly 200 more.
00:48How long have you been familiar with Iran and its leadership and its attacks against the United States?
00:57I've studied it or been a part of it for the better part of three decades, particularly acutely in the
01:02last five years.
01:03And leading up to February 28th, months prior to that, what was jarring to you that you saw different than
01:13what had been for those many decades that you've been involved?
01:16I think it's important to note just in the 30 months before Epic Fury commenced, Iran and its proxies had
01:23been attacking U.S. service members and diplomats about 350 times.
01:28Can you repeat that?
01:29About every third day, Iran and its proxies attacked American service members 350 times in the Middle East.
01:35I don't think that Americans were aware of that, that in the 30 months that they had attacked Americans or
01:41their service members 350 times.
01:44Does that surprise you that I would say that?
01:47That I don't believe that everyday American going to work knew that?
01:51It's disappointing.
01:53But between the actions of proxies in Iraq and Syria as well as the Houthis, that's simply the fact of
02:00what happened.
02:00U.S. Central Command was created in direct response to the threats posed by the Islamic Republic of Iran.
02:06And I am the 16th CENTCOM commander to deal with the Iranian problem set.
02:12For 47 years, the Iranian regime has terrorized the region and made hostility to the United States a core tenet
02:19of its rule.
02:20Their hostile, lethal track record against the United States is well documented, but I don't know that it is always
02:25well understood.
02:27Here's a data point.
02:28In just the last 30 months prior to the commencement of Epic Fury, Iranian-supported terror groups have attacked U
02:35.S. troops and diplomats more than 350 times.
02:39The equivalent of an attack more than every third day, killing four U.S. service members and wounding nearly 200
02:45more.
02:46After more than two years of Iranian attempts to leverage October 7th of 2023 to tear the region apart,
02:53at the direction of the president, United States Central Command initiated Operation Epic Fury.
02:57In less than 40 days, CENTCOM forces achieved our military objectives.
03:02Most notably, we degraded Iran's ability to project power outside its borders and threaten the region and threaten our interests.
03:10As an example, we can all remember April and October of 2024, hundreds of Iranian ballistic missiles and drones raining
03:18down in the Middle East.
03:20Today, Iran can no longer attack with that mass and scale.
03:23And further, with 90% of its defense industrial base destroyed, Iran won't be able to reconstitute those weapons for
03:31years.
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