WEBVTT 00:08.729 --> 00:10.896 Well , to our fellow Americans , brave 00:10.896 --> 00:13.250 warriors , and steadfast allies , good 00:13.250 --> 00:16.649 morning . You know , as someone who 00:17.110 --> 00:18.943 led troops , led soldiers in the 00:18.943 --> 00:21.166 streets of Baghdad and Samarra , Iraq . 00:21.780 --> 00:23.979 And who trained counterinsurgents in 00:23.979 --> 00:25.979 Kabul , Afghanistan , and who still 00:25.979 --> 00:28.540 carries . The weight of brothers lost 00:28.799 --> 00:31.399 to Iranian terrorist proxies , many 00:31.399 --> 00:33.621 backed by the same Iranian regime we're 00:33.621 --> 00:35.819 confronting now . This fight , 00:36.119 --> 00:39.119 Operation Epic Fury , it hits home . 00:40.090 --> 00:43.250 Our generation understands this fight . 00:44.500 --> 00:47.189 For 47 years , these barbaric savages 00:47.189 --> 00:49.700 in the Iranian regime have murdered our 00:49.700 --> 00:52.979 brothers in arms , my guys , your guys . 00:53.849 --> 00:56.479 Our guys Through their terrorist 00:56.479 --> 00:59.389 proxies and cowardly attacks , now they 00:59.389 --> 01:02.830 race toward a nuclear bomb . To hold 01:03.080 --> 01:07.000 the world hostage . The Iranians have 01:07.000 --> 01:10.720 targeted and killed thousands of my 01:10.720 --> 01:13.379 American brothers . That race to a 01:13.379 --> 01:15.779 nuclear bomb , President Trump will 01:15.779 --> 01:19.360 never allow it . Not now . Not 01:19.360 --> 01:22.639 ever , not on our watch . 01:23.760 --> 01:25.427 The mullahs are desperate and 01:25.427 --> 01:28.169 scrambling . Like the terrorist cowards 01:28.169 --> 01:30.529 they are , they fire missiles from 01:30.529 --> 01:33.569 schools and hospitals , deliberately , 01:33.769 --> 01:35.713 deliberately targeting innocents . 01:36.269 --> 01:38.589 Because they know their military is 01:38.589 --> 01:40.989 being systematically degraded and 01:40.989 --> 01:44.180 annihilated . Iran's neighbors and in 01:44.180 --> 01:47.449 some cases former allies in the Gulf , 01:47.569 --> 01:49.739 they've abandoned them . And their 01:49.739 --> 01:52.500 proxies Hezbollah , the Houthis , and 01:52.500 --> 01:56.129 Hamas , either broken . Ineffective 01:56.349 --> 02:00.199 or on the sidelines . Iran stands alone . 02:01.110 --> 02:05.029 And they are badly losing . On day 10 02:05.029 --> 02:07.750 of Operation Epic Fury , we are winning . 02:08.669 --> 02:10.725 With an overwhelming and unrelenting 02:10.725 --> 02:14.098 focus on our objectives , which are the 02:14.098 --> 02:16.419 same . As the day I gave my first 02:16.419 --> 02:18.690 briefing here on Operation Epic Fury , 02:18.860 --> 02:21.479 they're straightforward , and we are 02:21.580 --> 02:24.259 executing them with ruthless precision . 02:25.289 --> 02:27.690 One , destroy their missile stockpiles , 02:28.009 --> 02:30.169 their missile launchers , and their 02:30.169 --> 02:33.410 defense industrial base , missiles and 02:33.410 --> 02:36.289 their ability to make them . 2 02:37.009 --> 02:40.889 Destroy their navy and 3 permanently 02:40.889 --> 02:44.490 deny Iran nuclear weapons forever . 02:45.410 --> 02:47.690 It's a laser-focused maximum authority 02:47.690 --> 02:50.360 mission delivered with overwhelming and 02:50.360 --> 02:53.889 unrelenting precision . No hesitation . 02:54.610 --> 02:57.580 No half measures As President Trump 02:57.580 --> 03:00.419 declared yesterday . We're crushing the 03:00.419 --> 03:03.020 enemy in an overwhelming display of 03:03.020 --> 03:06.500 technical skill and military force . We 03:06.500 --> 03:08.444 will not relent until the enemy is 03:08.444 --> 03:11.990 totally and decisively defeated , but 03:11.990 --> 03:15.669 we do so . We do so on our timeline 03:15.809 --> 03:18.399 and at our choosing . For example , 03:18.690 --> 03:21.770 today will be yet again our most 03:21.770 --> 03:24.240 intense day of strikes inside Iran . 03:25.089 --> 03:27.256 The most fighters , the most bombers , 03:27.289 --> 03:30.369 the most strikes , intelligence more 03:30.369 --> 03:33.759 refined and better than ever . So 03:33.759 --> 03:36.037 that's on one hand . On the other hand , 03:36.037 --> 03:38.259 the last 24 hours have seen Iran fire 03:38.350 --> 03:40.880 the lowest number of missiles they've 03:40.880 --> 03:43.300 been capable of firing yet . 03:44.880 --> 03:46.991 Just the bifurcation , just the trend 03:46.991 --> 03:49.213 lines that we talked about on our first 03:49.213 --> 03:52.130 briefing . You see , this is not 2003 . 03:53.050 --> 03:55.770 This is not endless nation building . 03:56.570 --> 03:58.970 Under those types of quagmires we saw 03:58.970 --> 04:01.750 under Bush or Obama . It's not even 04:02.300 --> 04:04.539 close Our generation of soldier will 04:04.539 --> 04:06.660 not let that happen again , and nor 04:06.660 --> 04:09.259 will this president who very clearly 04:09.259 --> 04:12.580 ran against those kinds of never 04:12.580 --> 04:15.250 ending nebulously scoped missions . 04:15.380 --> 04:19.350 Those days are dead . Instead , we're 04:19.350 --> 04:21.072 winning decisively with brutal 04:21.072 --> 04:23.910 efficiency , total air dominance , and 04:23.910 --> 04:26.230 an unbreakable will to accomplish the 04:26.230 --> 04:28.920 president's objectives . On our 04:28.920 --> 04:31.380 timeline . We stay locked on the target . 04:32.510 --> 04:34.732 Because here at the Department of War , 04:34.732 --> 04:37.299 that's our job . Now , the chairman and 04:37.299 --> 04:39.466 I having just returned from Dover last 04:39.466 --> 04:42.410 night . Our troops and their families 04:42.410 --> 04:44.750 and the enormous sacrifice that they 04:44.750 --> 04:47.790 make is certainly heavy on my mind . 04:48.970 --> 04:51.570 So I'll close with scripture drawing 04:51.570 --> 04:55.529 strength from Psalm 144 . Blessed be 04:55.529 --> 04:58.239 the Lord , my rock , who trains my 04:58.239 --> 05:00.572 hands for war and my fingers for battle . 05:00.920 --> 05:03.339 He is my loving god and my fortress . 05:04.170 --> 05:06.929 My stronghold and my deliverer , my 05:06.929 --> 05:10.190 shield . In whom I take 05:10.190 --> 05:14.019 refuge . May the Lord grant unyielding 05:14.019 --> 05:17.010 strength and refuge to our warriors , 05:17.220 --> 05:19.690 unbreakable protection to them in our 05:19.690 --> 05:23.140 homeland , and total victory over those 05:23.140 --> 05:26.820 who seek to harm them . And amen . God 05:26.820 --> 05:29.750 bless our troops and this mission , Mr . 05:29.869 --> 05:32.202 Chairman . Over to you . Thank you , Mr . 05:32.202 --> 05:34.536 Secretary , and good morning , everyone , 05:34.536 --> 05:36.758 and thank you for being here . I'm here 05:36.758 --> 05:36.750 today to continue the updates to the 05:36.750 --> 05:38.750 American people and to those in the 05:38.750 --> 05:40.861 room on Operation Epic Fury . First , 05:40.861 --> 05:43.083 let me start with honoring our fallen . 05:43.083 --> 05:45.250 Uh , as the Secretary said on Saturday 05:45.250 --> 05:47.589 and again last night at Dover Air Force 05:47.589 --> 05:49.929 Base in Delaware , our nation's leaders 05:50.269 --> 05:52.670 honored our returning fallen as they 05:52.670 --> 05:54.790 arrived home for their final time . 05:55.429 --> 05:57.690 Last week I shared a few of the names , 05:57.700 --> 06:00.040 and today I want to share the rest . 06:00.619 --> 06:03.429 Major Jeffrey O'Brien and Chief Warrant 06:03.429 --> 06:05.579 Officer 3 , Robert Marzan were the 06:05.579 --> 06:08.660 final two fallen to return home and 06:08.660 --> 06:11.700 members of the US Army Reserves 103rd 06:11.700 --> 06:13.929 Sustainment Command out of Des Moines , 06:13.980 --> 06:16.709 Iowa . Last night , as the news has 06:16.709 --> 06:19.170 been reporting , we honored the return 06:19.170 --> 06:21.489 of Staff Sergeant Benjamin Pennington 06:21.489 --> 06:24.450 of the US Army's First Space Brigade 06:24.790 --> 06:27.619 from Fort Carson , Colorado . When I 06:27.619 --> 06:30.619 met Ben's family last night , his mom , 06:30.739 --> 06:33.380 his dad , and his sister , they showed 06:33.380 --> 06:36.059 me a picture , a drawing that Ben had 06:36.059 --> 06:38.170 made when he was in kindergarten . It 06:38.170 --> 06:41.420 was clear all the way back then that 06:41.420 --> 06:43.859 Ben wanted to do one thing in his life 06:43.859 --> 06:46.026 and he wanted to serve his country and 06:46.026 --> 06:48.248 be a soldier . And to the Penningtons , 06:48.248 --> 06:51.459 just know how Ben was absolutely a 06:51.459 --> 06:54.980 great one . And finally , Major Sorefle 06:54.980 --> 06:57.100 uh Davies , who returned home this 06:57.100 --> 07:00.380 weekend after sadly passing away from a 07:00.380 --> 07:02.570 medical condition while on duty in 07:02.570 --> 07:05.480 Kuwait . We welcome him home as well 07:05.480 --> 07:07.790 and mourn with his family . To the 07:07.790 --> 07:10.470 families and the families of all of our 07:10.470 --> 07:12.790 fallen , we share in your profound 07:12.790 --> 07:15.309 grief . The joint force remains 07:15.309 --> 07:18.170 eternally grateful for your sacrifice 07:18.429 --> 07:21.029 and the gift of a great example that 07:21.029 --> 07:23.196 your service members have given all of 07:23.196 --> 07:25.140 us . I want you to know that their 07:25.140 --> 07:27.790 names will never be forgotten , and you 07:27.790 --> 07:29.901 and your family are part of our joint 07:29.901 --> 07:33.160 force family forever . Let me talk a 07:33.160 --> 07:35.438 little bit about the progress thus far , 07:35.540 --> 07:37.707 acknowledging that Admiral Cooper will 07:37.707 --> 07:39.762 likely continue to give updates from 07:39.762 --> 07:41.984 CENTCOM . As the Secretary said , we're 07:41.984 --> 07:44.207 in the 10th , moving in the 11th day of 07:44.207 --> 07:46.369 Operation Epic Fury . The joint force 07:46.369 --> 07:48.579 remains focused on 3 military 07:48.579 --> 07:51.100 objectives continue to destroy Iranian 07:51.100 --> 07:53.322 ballistic missiles and drone capability 07:53.540 --> 07:56.200 in order to prevent attacks on the US 07:56.200 --> 07:58.519 and others throughout the region . And 07:58.519 --> 08:00.519 this means attacking launch sites , 08:00.519 --> 08:02.920 command and control nodes , stockpiles 08:02.920 --> 08:05.198 before they can threaten our personnel , 08:05.198 --> 08:07.198 our facilities , and our partners . 08:07.399 --> 08:09.343 Second , we continue to strike the 08:09.343 --> 08:12.480 Iranian navy and their capabilities in 08:12.480 --> 08:14.258 order to do things like sustain 08:14.258 --> 08:16.536 movement through the Straits of Hormuz . 08:16.536 --> 08:18.369 And third , we continue to start 08:18.369 --> 08:21.369 working on and going deeper into Iran's 08:21.369 --> 08:23.760 military and industrial base in order 08:23.760 --> 08:26.970 to prevent the regime from being able 08:26.970 --> 08:29.200 to attack Americans , our interests , 08:29.630 --> 08:31.852 uh , and our partners for years to come 08:31.852 --> 08:34.186 and project power outside their borders . 08:34.409 --> 08:36.250 This means servicing production 08:36.250 --> 08:38.361 facilities , research and development 08:38.361 --> 08:40.472 sites , and infrastructure . Let me , 08:40.472 --> 08:43.049 uh , let me turn to the map . We're 08:43.049 --> 08:45.160 going to try digital today to prevent 08:45.160 --> 08:47.929 laser injury . Since our last update , 08:48.049 --> 08:50.190 CENTCOM continues to make progress 08:50.489 --> 08:53.130 across the southern flank . To date 08:53.130 --> 08:56.729 they've struck more than 5000 targets . 08:57.409 --> 08:59.890 US Strategic Command bombers recently 08:59.890 --> 09:03.250 dropped dozens of 2000 pound GPS 09:03.250 --> 09:05.729 penetrating weapons on deeply buried 09:05.729 --> 09:08.130 missile launchers across the southern 09:08.130 --> 09:10.570 flank . We also have struck several 09:10.570 --> 09:13.409 one-way drone factories to get at the 09:13.409 --> 09:15.669 heart of their autonomous capability . 09:16.140 --> 09:18.380 And of course alongside our regional 09:18.380 --> 09:20.429 partners along the southern flank 09:21.020 --> 09:23.940 continue to execute intercepts against 09:23.940 --> 09:27.440 one-way attack drones using fighters 09:27.440 --> 09:30.700 and attack helicopters . Our strikes 09:30.700 --> 09:32.922 mean we've made significant progress in 09:32.922 --> 09:34.867 reducing the number of missile and 09:34.867 --> 09:37.340 drone attacks out of Iran . Ballistic 09:37.340 --> 09:39.229 missile attacks continue to trend 09:39.229 --> 09:41.539 downward , 90% from where they've 09:41.539 --> 09:43.739 started , and one-way attack drones 09:43.739 --> 09:47.030 have decreased 83% . Uh , since the 09:47.030 --> 09:49.308 part , uh , beginning of the operation , 09:49.308 --> 09:51.440 a testament to our air defenders and 09:51.440 --> 09:53.799 our air defense systems , and as I said , 09:53.880 --> 09:56.559 our partners in the region continue to 09:56.559 --> 09:59.460 do great work as well . Second , we're 09:59.460 --> 10:01.460 making substantial progress towards 10:01.460 --> 10:03.630 destroying the navy . In the 1st 10 10:03.630 --> 10:06.210 days of the conflict were more than 50 10:06.210 --> 10:08.909 Iranian naval ships into the campaign . 10:09.239 --> 10:11.390 Using a combination of artillery , 10:11.789 --> 10:13.789 fighters , bombers , and sea launch 10:13.789 --> 10:17.080 missiles , as Admiral Cooper noted last 10:17.080 --> 10:19.359 Thursday , we struck and sank an 10:19.359 --> 10:21.719 Iranian drone carrier ship , and US 10:21.719 --> 10:23.919 CENTCOP continues today to hunt and 10:23.919 --> 10:25.919 strike mine laying vessels and mine 10:25.919 --> 10:28.840 storage facilities . This work will 10:28.840 --> 10:31.710 continue . Third , we've , against our 10:31.710 --> 10:33.654 objectives , we've begun to target 10:33.654 --> 10:35.821 Iran's military and industrial complex 10:35.950 --> 10:38.590 again focusing on centers of gravity to 10:38.590 --> 10:41.270 get upstream of the shooters out in the 10:41.270 --> 10:44.140 field in order to deny them the ability 10:44.140 --> 10:46.669 to continue to generate those those 10:46.669 --> 10:49.530 one-way attack drones . Let me spend a 10:49.530 --> 10:51.590 minute talking about the joint force 10:52.190 --> 10:54.190 across the area of responsibility . 10:54.190 --> 10:56.729 This is gritty and tireless work , and 10:56.729 --> 10:59.570 I cannot begin to explain how 10:59.570 --> 11:01.570 incredibly proud I am of the 11:01.570 --> 11:04.229 extraordinary courage , tenacity , and 11:04.229 --> 11:06.489 grit and professionalism within the 11:06.489 --> 11:09.419 joint force . Last time I had a chance 11:09.419 --> 11:11.880 to talk about the Army's incredible 11:11.880 --> 11:13.690 logisticians who are out there 11:13.690 --> 11:16.169 sustaining the fight . Today I want to 11:16.169 --> 11:18.169 highlight a few groups of sailors . 11:18.799 --> 11:20.830 First , I want to thank the men and 11:20.830 --> 11:22.997 women of the Ford carrier strike group 11:22.997 --> 11:25.400 and their families and let all of them 11:25.400 --> 11:27.233 know how grateful I am for their 11:27.233 --> 11:29.599 leadership and service . The crews on 11:29.599 --> 11:31.655 board this strike group have already 11:31.655 --> 11:33.655 been , uh , endured months at sea , 11:33.655 --> 11:35.877 only to get their deployment extended . 11:36.159 --> 11:38.270 These exceptional Americans , rogered 11:38.270 --> 11:40.559 up , all supported by their families , 11:41.080 --> 11:43.239 continue to stand the watch , taking 11:43.239 --> 11:45.359 the fight to the enemy over and over 11:45.359 --> 11:48.869 again night after night . Aboard ships 11:48.869 --> 11:51.469 like the USS Ford and the Abraham 11:51.469 --> 11:53.869 Lincoln are a special group of sailors 11:53.869 --> 11:56.190 I want to highlight today . These are 11:56.190 --> 11:58.349 the men and women , the sailors up on 11:58.349 --> 12:00.789 the roof running operations on the 12:00.789 --> 12:02.989 flight deck . With an average age of 12:02.989 --> 12:04.933 the early twenties . These are the 12:04.933 --> 12:07.729 unsung heroes of naval aviation . These 12:07.729 --> 12:10.369 young sailors known for wearing yellow 12:10.369 --> 12:12.890 shirts are in charge of the catapults , 12:13.030 --> 12:15.330 taxiing jets around on the flight deck , 12:15.729 --> 12:17.840 shooting jets off the front end , and 12:17.840 --> 12:20.289 recovering jets off the back end . They 12:20.289 --> 12:22.799 are literally involved with every 12:22.799 --> 12:25.021 single movement on the , on the roof on 12:25.021 --> 12:27.549 an aircraft carrier . They are the last 12:27.549 --> 12:29.969 ones that a naval aviator sees before 12:29.969 --> 12:32.025 getting shot off the front end , and 12:32.025 --> 12:34.530 the first one that a naval aviator sees 12:34.530 --> 12:36.770 after safely trapping on the back end . 12:37.169 --> 12:39.559 And just for a minute . Imagine you're 12:39.559 --> 12:41.448 standing on that aircraft carrier 12:41.448 --> 12:43.760 flight deck . There's 30 knots of wind 12:43.760 --> 12:46.190 in your face . The deck is slippery , 12:46.479 --> 12:48.646 covered in grease . It's noisy . There 12:48.646 --> 12:50.757 are propellers spinning . There's jet 12:50.757 --> 12:52.923 blast everywhere . The helicopters are 12:52.923 --> 12:54.979 running . Your head is on a swivel , 12:54.979 --> 12:57.000 and you're trying to direct a 12:57.000 --> 12:59.869 multi-million dollar fighter into a 1 12:59.869 --> 13:02.440 ft square box so that those naval 13:02.440 --> 13:05.080 aviators can be shot off into the black 13:05.080 --> 13:07.299 of night to go do America's work . 13:07.869 --> 13:09.750 Those jets are fully loaded with 13:09.750 --> 13:11.989 missiles and bombs , and they are a 13:11.989 --> 13:14.190 world-class team combined with the 13:14.190 --> 13:17.059 naval aviation . And the aviators in 13:17.059 --> 13:20.900 those jets , this beautiful symphony of 13:20.900 --> 13:23.739 American spirit is the definition of 13:23.739 --> 13:26.859 perfectly organized chaos , and these 13:26.859 --> 13:30.099 crews do it every single time the 13:30.099 --> 13:32.780 carrier is at work . Oh , by the way , 13:32.900 --> 13:34.622 in the middle of the night and 13:34.622 --> 13:37.450 oftentimes in the pouring rain , uh , 13:37.539 --> 13:40.500 these are dedicated young people who 13:40.500 --> 13:42.580 take the road less traveled to serve 13:42.580 --> 13:44.636 their great nation , doing the deeds 13:44.636 --> 13:46.869 that we need them to do . America's 13:46.869 --> 13:49.070 enlisted force is the pride of every 13:49.070 --> 13:51.710 nation's military , certainly ours , 13:51.770 --> 13:54.179 and the envy of every other one as well . 13:54.510 --> 13:56.566 Each and every one of them out there 13:56.710 --> 13:58.210 across the joint force are 13:58.210 --> 14:00.432 extraordinary , and in particular today 14:00.432 --> 14:02.654 I want to highlight the yellow shirts . 14:03.070 --> 14:04.848 Ladies and gentlemen , our work 14:04.848 --> 14:06.681 continues . It'll continue to be 14:06.681 --> 14:08.909 difficult . I ask every American to 14:08.909 --> 14:10.798 keep our deployed force and their 14:10.798 --> 14:12.742 families and our thoughts . Combat 14:12.742 --> 14:14.853 deployments can be tough on the force 14:14.853 --> 14:16.965 and the families , and it's important 14:16.965 --> 14:19.076 that we continue to remember that . I 14:19.076 --> 14:20.909 remain deeply humbled by the 2.8 14:20.909 --> 14:22.965 million members of the Joint Force , 14:22.965 --> 14:25.030 and I'll end where I started , and 14:25.030 --> 14:27.252 that's remembering our fallen and their 14:27.252 --> 14:29.363 families whose sacrifice will be felt 14:29.363 --> 14:31.363 forever . And with that , I'll take 14:31.363 --> 14:33.474 some questions with the Secretary . A 14:33.474 --> 14:35.697 beautiful symphony of American spirit . 14:35.697 --> 14:37.863 Well said , Mr . Chairman , uh , and I 14:37.863 --> 14:39.919 will just , I will just note that no 14:39.919 --> 14:42.141 other country in the world . Is capable 14:42.141 --> 14:44.141 of executing what the chairman just 14:44.141 --> 14:46.252 described day after day , night after 14:46.252 --> 14:48.419 night , unrelenting , uh , well said . 14:48.419 --> 14:51.030 Thank you sir . Alexandra Ingersoll One 14:51.030 --> 14:54.950 America News , um . You talked , uh , 14:55.049 --> 14:57.469 Mr . Secretary , you talked at the , uh , 14:57.570 --> 14:59.848 conference in Florida on Thursday , um , 14:59.848 --> 15:02.250 that there was a 90% , uh , missile 15:02.250 --> 15:04.570 capabilities degradation and 83% drone 15:04.570 --> 15:06.681 degradation , and I know the chairman 15:06.681 --> 15:08.681 just repeated those numbers . We've 15:08.681 --> 15:10.848 seen the most amount of fighting these 15:10.848 --> 15:13.014 past 5 days . Um , is there any update 15:13.014 --> 15:15.126 to those percentages ? And also , are 15:15.126 --> 15:16.681 you able to , um , give any 15:16.681 --> 15:19.789 quantification , uh , of degradation to , 15:19.840 --> 15:22.729 uh , the enemy's nuclear capabilities 15:22.729 --> 15:25.880 yet ? What , uh , what those numbers 15:25.880 --> 15:29.450 represent is a persistent low ability 15:29.450 --> 15:31.617 to respond which is what we're looking 15:31.617 --> 15:33.839 for , right ? It's if , if the , if the 15:33.839 --> 15:36.006 enemy can simply wait and then project 15:36.006 --> 15:38.228 power that's problematic and we've seen 15:38.228 --> 15:40.339 some spurts here there but ultimately 15:40.339 --> 15:42.339 the trend line . If you look at the 15:42.339 --> 15:44.450 charts that we look at every day have 15:44.450 --> 15:46.394 gone like this down to a flat . It 15:46.394 --> 15:48.339 doesn't mean they won't be able to 15:48.339 --> 15:47.659 project . It doesn't mean they , you 15:47.659 --> 15:49.715 know , our air defenders still don't 15:49.715 --> 15:51.826 have to defend . They do , but that , 15:51.826 --> 15:53.992 that is strong evidence of degradation 15:53.992 --> 15:56.326 along with the battle damage assessment . 15:56.326 --> 15:58.492 Uh , that the joint staff does , which 15:58.492 --> 16:00.437 takes time . You've got to look at 16:00.437 --> 16:02.103 imagery and recognize whether 16:02.103 --> 16:01.890 something's been simply degraded or 16:01.890 --> 16:03.779 it's been destroyed or whether an 16:03.779 --> 16:06.001 underground facility has been collapsed 16:06.001 --> 16:08.330 or completely , uh , obliterated . So 16:08.330 --> 16:10.552 there's differences in how you evaluate 16:10.552 --> 16:12.774 that , but the numbers staying that low 16:12.774 --> 16:14.941 is a demonstration of the efficacy for 16:14.941 --> 16:17.163 sure . Yes , we're here . Thanks , Mr . 16:17.163 --> 16:19.274 Secretary . There's been reports that 16:19.274 --> 16:21.608 the new leader of Iran has been wounded . 16:21.608 --> 16:21.580 Do you know if this is true and what 16:21.580 --> 16:23.913 his condition is ? And then another one . 16:24.070 --> 16:26.126 President Trump said he had a really 16:26.126 --> 16:27.848 good call with President Putin 16:27.848 --> 16:30.070 yesterday . Will Russia be aiding us in 16:30.070 --> 16:31.959 this conflict , and can you share 16:31.959 --> 16:34.181 anything on that ? Well , the president 16:34.181 --> 16:36.237 Uh , as I've said before , maintains 16:36.237 --> 16:38.459 strong relationships with world leaders 16:38.459 --> 16:40.681 which creates opportunities and options 16:40.681 --> 16:42.737 for us in very dynamic ways . So the 16:42.737 --> 16:42.330 president said it was a good call . I 16:42.330 --> 16:44.441 was not on it , but , uh , those that 16:44.441 --> 16:46.552 were , uh , said it was a strong call 16:46.552 --> 16:48.330 reaffirming hopefully the , the 16:48.330 --> 16:50.441 opportunity for some , for some peace 16:50.441 --> 16:52.663 in Russia , Ukraine , and also , uh , a 16:52.663 --> 16:54.886 recognition that as it pertains to this 16:54.886 --> 16:57.052 conflict , uh , they should , uh . Not 16:57.052 --> 16:59.450 be involved . The first question was on 16:59.450 --> 17:01.283 the new leader of Iran . There's 17:01.283 --> 17:03.394 reports that he's been wounded . Oh , 17:03.394 --> 17:05.450 the new leader of Iran , he would be 17:05.450 --> 17:07.783 wise to heed the words of our president , 17:07.783 --> 17:09.950 which is to not pursue nuclear weapons 17:09.950 --> 17:12.172 and come out and state as such . As far 17:12.172 --> 17:14.339 as his status , that's not something I 17:14.339 --> 17:16.561 can comment on right now . Yeah , right 17:16.561 --> 17:18.450 here . That's correct . Uh , Mr . 17:18.450 --> 17:20.450 Secretary Eric Schmidt with The New 17:20.450 --> 17:22.672 York Times , a question for you first . 17:22.672 --> 17:24.728 Uh , last week you talked about this 17:24.728 --> 17:24.670 being the beginnings of an air campaign 17:24.670 --> 17:26.837 that could last 3 to 8 weeks . Can you 17:26.837 --> 17:29.059 give us your assessment on where we are 17:29.059 --> 17:31.439 now , and Mr . Chairman , And any 17:31.439 --> 17:33.760 conflict , the enemy or the adversary 17:33.760 --> 17:36.160 adapts to the tactics it faces , can 17:36.160 --> 17:38.319 you talk about the most challenging 17:38.319 --> 17:40.319 adaptation the Iranian military has 17:40.319 --> 17:42.041 made to the US military ? What 17:42.041 --> 17:44.097 challenges are you facing most right 17:44.097 --> 17:46.041 now ? Thank you . I appreciate the 17:46.041 --> 17:48.097 question . Uh , where we are is in a 17:48.097 --> 17:49.819 very strong place , giving the 17:49.819 --> 17:51.986 president of the United States maximum 17:51.986 --> 17:54.208 options , and from the beginning , from 17:54.208 --> 17:56.208 this podium , we haven't stated how 17:56.208 --> 17:58.541 long it will take . Our will is endless . 17:58.541 --> 18:00.375 Ultimately the president gets to 18:00.375 --> 18:02.597 determine . Uh , the end state of those 18:02.597 --> 18:04.597 objectives , right ? But , but what 18:04.597 --> 18:06.763 he's said continually , and I want the 18:06.763 --> 18:08.875 American people to understand is this 18:08.875 --> 18:11.041 is not endless , it's not protracted , 18:11.041 --> 18:13.208 we're not allowing mission creep . The 18:13.208 --> 18:15.097 president has set a very specific 18:15.097 --> 18:17.152 mission to accomplish . Uh , and our 18:17.152 --> 18:19.319 job is to unrelentingly deliver that . 18:19.319 --> 18:21.430 Now he gets to control the throttle . 18:21.430 --> 18:23.486 He's the one deciding . He's the one 18:23.486 --> 18:23.030 elected on behalf of the American 18:23.030 --> 18:24.919 people when we're achieving those 18:24.919 --> 18:27.141 particular objectives . And so it's not 18:27.141 --> 18:28.974 for me to posit whether it's the 18:28.974 --> 18:31.086 beginning , the middle , or the end . 18:31.086 --> 18:33.030 That's his , and he'll continue to 18:33.030 --> 18:35.086 communicate that . What we , what we 18:35.086 --> 18:37.252 serve him as is we give him updates on 18:37.252 --> 18:39.363 a daily basis of exactly where we are 18:39.363 --> 18:41.419 so he can make that determination on 18:41.419 --> 18:41.410 the throttle . Mr . Chairman , uh , 18:41.650 --> 18:43.317 thank you for the question on 18:43.317 --> 18:45.483 adaptation . As you're right , no plan 18:45.483 --> 18:47.594 survives first contact with the enemy 18:47.594 --> 18:49.761 or Murphy . Uh , they're adapting , as 18:49.761 --> 18:51.650 are we , of course . We have very 18:51.650 --> 18:53.872 entrepreneurial warfighters out there . 18:53.872 --> 18:56.094 I'd rather not for operational security 18:56.094 --> 18:58.428 reasons , tell them what's working . Uh , 18:58.428 --> 19:00.594 so I'll , I'm going to not answer that 19:00.594 --> 19:02.594 question based on that , but we are 19:02.594 --> 19:04.650 watching , uh , what they're doing , 19:04.650 --> 19:06.706 and we are adapting faster than they 19:06.706 --> 19:08.928 are . Are they more formidable than you 19:08.928 --> 19:10.872 anticipated , General ? I mean , I 19:10.872 --> 19:12.928 think they're fighting and I respect 19:12.928 --> 19:12.900 that , but I don't think they're more 19:12.900 --> 19:14.789 formidable than what we thought . 19:15.670 --> 19:17.559 Secretary Erte , thank you . Uh , 19:17.559 --> 19:19.448 Jordan Conradson from the Gateway 19:19.448 --> 19:21.559 Pundit . Axios reported citing US and 19:21.559 --> 19:23.559 Israeli sources that the US was not 19:23.559 --> 19:26.959 happy with strikes on 30 fuel depots in 19:26.959 --> 19:29.750 Iran . Um , while this is , um , 19:29.760 --> 19:31.704 anonymous sourcing , you know , it 19:31.704 --> 19:33.593 seems kind of congruent with what 19:33.593 --> 19:35.593 President Trump said yesterday that 19:35.593 --> 19:37.704 there's certain spots they don't want 19:37.704 --> 19:39.427 want to hit relating to energy 19:39.427 --> 19:41.482 infrastructure that will take a long 19:41.482 --> 19:43.704 time to rebuild . Um , and , you know , 19:43.704 --> 19:45.927 whether this reporting is true or not , 19:45.927 --> 19:47.871 what's your message to Americans , 19:47.871 --> 19:50.093 those who supported the president , and 19:50.093 --> 19:52.093 those who aren't really in favor of 19:52.093 --> 19:54.149 this war , and who worry that Israel 19:54.219 --> 19:56.979 might be taking advantage of the US's 19:56.979 --> 20:00.130 backing . And then , uh , for Mr . 20:00.140 --> 20:02.520 Chairman , for you , I wanted to ask , 20:02.770 --> 20:04.992 when you say that we're moving inland , 20:04.992 --> 20:06.992 what capabilities does Iran have to 20:06.992 --> 20:09.949 shoot down jets over their land ? And 20:09.949 --> 20:12.116 would that trigger some kind of rescue 20:12.116 --> 20:14.069 operation that could risk a bigger 20:14.069 --> 20:16.699 ground operation ? Well , I would just 20:16.699 --> 20:19.339 state by saying Israel's been a really 20:19.339 --> 20:21.395 strong partner in this effort , uh , 20:21.500 --> 20:23.556 where they have different objectives 20:23.556 --> 20:25.722 they've pursued them . Uh , ultimately 20:25.722 --> 20:27.944 we've stayed focused on ours , but when 20:27.944 --> 20:30.111 Iran , what Iran has felt is the power 20:30.111 --> 20:32.167 of the world's two most powerful air 20:32.167 --> 20:34.278 forces , uh , in that particular case 20:34.278 --> 20:36.278 that wasn't our , those weren't our 20:36.278 --> 20:38.389 strikes or that objective . Uh , or , 20:38.389 --> 20:40.111 or that wasn't necessarily our 20:40.111 --> 20:42.278 objective , but the president has made 20:42.278 --> 20:44.389 it clear to those concerns that we're 20:44.389 --> 20:46.722 not getting pulled in any any direction . 20:46.722 --> 20:46.680 We're leading . The president is 20:46.680 --> 20:48.680 leading . He's determining where we 20:48.680 --> 20:50.902 want to go , what the outcome will be , 20:50.902 --> 20:53.069 what the end state is with a very keen 20:53.069 --> 20:55.180 eye , and I understand those concerns 20:55.180 --> 20:57.402 because I've heard from a lot of people 20:57.402 --> 20:59.458 who went through , I went through 20 20:59.458 --> 21:01.347 years of those wars myself , uh , 21:01.347 --> 21:03.291 worried about getting dragged in , 21:03.291 --> 21:05.402 worried about mission creep , worried 21:05.402 --> 21:05.400 about nation building or , or democracy 21:05.400 --> 21:08.930 expansion . Um , that's never the 21:08.930 --> 21:11.041 perspective the president has pursued 21:11.041 --> 21:12.819 on this . Just because previous 21:12.819 --> 21:14.819 presidents and previous secretaries 21:14.819 --> 21:16.541 have decided to just pour more 21:16.541 --> 21:18.541 resources and more people in toward 21:18.541 --> 21:20.708 some unguided end state , uh , doesn't 21:20.708 --> 21:22.874 mean that's the way the world needs to 21:22.874 --> 21:24.874 look today . In fact , the American 21:24.874 --> 21:27.097 people voted for a different approach , 21:27.097 --> 21:29.319 but what the president also stated from 21:29.319 --> 21:31.319 the beginning was Iran can't have a 21:31.319 --> 21:33.486 nuclear weapon , and it's one thing to 21:33.486 --> 21:35.708 say it . It's easy to say . Anybody can 21:35.708 --> 21:37.819 say that . I mean , Barack Obama said 21:37.819 --> 21:39.900 that . But to do something about it 21:39.900 --> 21:42.859 takes courage and resolve , but in that 21:42.859 --> 21:44.970 courage and in that resolve , you can 21:44.970 --> 21:46.915 also be very scoped in what you're 21:46.915 --> 21:48.970 trying to execute to ensure that the 21:48.970 --> 21:50.859 sacrifice of Americans , American 21:50.859 --> 21:53.339 treasure , American lives , all of 21:53.339 --> 21:56.410 those properly meet the objective that 21:56.410 --> 21:58.299 you're trying to accomplish . And 21:58.299 --> 22:00.521 certainly as someone I talked out front 22:00.521 --> 22:02.577 about what the Iranians have done to 22:02.577 --> 22:04.799 our generation , yes , we're clear eyed 22:04.799 --> 22:06.799 about it . But my job is to keep it 22:06.799 --> 22:08.854 scoped , uh , given the directive to 22:08.854 --> 22:08.810 the president to accomplish the mission . 22:09.510 --> 22:11.621 Thank you for the question . Uh , you 22:11.621 --> 22:13.843 know , most of their higher-end surface 22:13.843 --> 22:15.899 to air missile systems are , are not 22:15.899 --> 22:18.121 factors at this point in time . We're , 22:18.121 --> 22:19.954 we're able to move around , uh , 22:19.954 --> 22:22.121 fighters that are moving deeper , uh , 22:22.121 --> 22:24.288 with , with relative impunity . Always 22:24.288 --> 22:26.399 some risk out there . I don't want to 22:26.399 --> 22:28.510 say that there isn't , and , uh , and 22:28.510 --> 22:30.343 we'll always maintain and retain 22:30.343 --> 22:32.920 capability of doing . Uh , search and 22:32.920 --> 22:34.920 rescue type of things , but I don't 22:34.920 --> 22:36.864 want to get into the details , but 22:36.864 --> 22:38.753 thank you for the question . Uh , 22:38.753 --> 22:40.476 thanks , Mr . Secretary . Uh , 22:40.476 --> 22:42.531 President Trump told our team on the 22:42.531 --> 22:44.900 ground , uh , early this morning that , 22:44.910 --> 22:47.021 uh , the thing that has surprised him 22:47.021 --> 22:48.966 the most during the course of this 22:48.966 --> 22:52.189 operation so far has been The Iranian 22:52.189 --> 22:55.300 regime attacking countries that are not 22:55.300 --> 22:57.510 attacking them . I'm curious if that 22:57.510 --> 22:59.969 surprised you as well . And general , 23:00.089 --> 23:03.810 I'm curious if you were open 23:03.810 --> 23:06.032 to the possibility of escorting vessels 23:06.032 --> 23:08.254 through the Strait of Hormuz and if you 23:08.254 --> 23:10.477 could describe some of the challenges . 23:12.280 --> 23:14.989 Of doing so . Big mistake by the 23:14.989 --> 23:17.100 Iranian regime to start targeting its 23:17.100 --> 23:19.100 neighbors right away , exposing who 23:19.100 --> 23:21.100 they are and what they're all about 23:21.100 --> 23:22.878 indiscriminate targeting , uh , 23:22.878 --> 23:25.045 flailing recklessly at the beginning . 23:25.045 --> 23:27.359 Um , I can't say that we anticipated 23:27.359 --> 23:29.359 necessarily that's exactly how they 23:29.359 --> 23:31.415 would , would react , but we knew it 23:31.415 --> 23:33.581 was a possibility , and I think it was 23:33.581 --> 23:35.692 a demonstration of the desperation of 23:35.692 --> 23:37.803 that that regime then and that regime 23:37.803 --> 23:40.026 now that they still think their pathway 23:40.026 --> 23:42.081 out is to try to alienate their Arab 23:42.081 --> 23:43.970 partners even more who've instead 23:43.970 --> 23:46.081 decided to come to us . And have been 23:46.081 --> 23:45.959 willing to go on the offense , have 23:45.959 --> 23:47.737 been given us access basing and 23:47.737 --> 23:49.792 overflight in a in a new partnership 23:49.792 --> 23:52.119 that will continue to remake the region 23:52.119 --> 23:54.230 the way that President Trump did with 23:54.230 --> 23:56.397 the Abraham Accord . So you're pushing 23:56.397 --> 23:58.175 those countries in our , in our 23:58.175 --> 24:00.119 direction . To support this effort 24:00.119 --> 24:02.119 further alienating Iran , and I , I 24:02.119 --> 24:04.286 think it's worth underscoring I see in 24:04.286 --> 24:06.508 the media banners that say , you know , 24:06.508 --> 24:08.341 war expanding or war spread it's 24:08.341 --> 24:10.341 actually the opposite . It's , it's 24:10.341 --> 24:12.230 actually quite contained and more 24:12.230 --> 24:12.089 allies are more of those countries are 24:12.089 --> 24:14.209 coming on side recognizing that you 24:14.209 --> 24:15.987 can't live under a conventional 24:15.987 --> 24:18.153 umbrella with nuclear ambitions with a 24:18.153 --> 24:20.609 radical regime like that again properly 24:20.609 --> 24:22.831 scoping the objectives in the process . 24:23.140 --> 24:25.140 And then you want to talk about the 24:25.140 --> 24:27.473 raid , sure , on the , on the potential , 24:27.473 --> 24:30.300 um , if tasked to , you know , we'll 24:30.300 --> 24:32.550 look at the range of options to set the 24:32.550 --> 24:35.469 military . Conditions to be able to do 24:35.469 --> 24:37.550 that and then like we always do with 24:37.550 --> 24:39.910 every potential mission , come to the 24:39.910 --> 24:42.021 secretary and the president with both 24:42.021 --> 24:44.188 what are the resources required , what 24:44.188 --> 24:46.299 is the command and control required , 24:46.299 --> 24:48.354 and what are the risks and how do we 24:48.354 --> 24:50.577 mitigate those risks . So we're looking 24:50.577 --> 24:52.854 at a range of options there , um , and , 24:52.854 --> 24:54.799 uh , we'll figure out how to solve 24:54.799 --> 24:56.799 problems as they come to us . But I 24:56.799 --> 24:58.799 would reiterate also to , to add to 24:58.799 --> 25:00.966 what the chairman said , the truth the 25:00.966 --> 25:03.243 president posted last night about that . 25:03.243 --> 25:05.299 Saying if Iran does anything to stop 25:05.299 --> 25:07.354 the flow of oil within the Strait of 25:07.354 --> 25:07.349 Hormuz , they will be hit by the United 25:07.349 --> 25:10.189 States of America 20 times harder than 25:10.189 --> 25:12.770 they have been hit thus far . He goes 25:12.770 --> 25:14.937 on to say death , fire , and fury will 25:14.937 --> 25:17.048 rain upon them . You've , you've seen 25:17.048 --> 25:19.103 the truth and read it , but he takes 25:19.103 --> 25:21.159 very seriously the condition of that 25:21.159 --> 25:23.326 straits . We have capabilities that no 25:23.326 --> 25:25.437 other nation on earth has , and we're 25:25.437 --> 25:25.229 certainly working with our energy 25:25.229 --> 25:27.340 partners across the administration to 25:27.340 --> 25:29.507 control for that . That's part of that 25:29.507 --> 25:31.618 scoping . Of this , the , the , the , 25:31.618 --> 25:33.562 the world needs to understand this 25:33.562 --> 25:35.785 doesn't have , uh , this isn't intended 25:35.785 --> 25:37.896 to be , nor is it something that will 25:37.896 --> 25:39.896 expand . We know exactly what we're 25:39.896 --> 25:41.896 attempting to achieve here , scoped 25:41.896 --> 25:44.062 properly , and the American people can 25:44.062 --> 25:46.255 count on that for sure . Thank you so 25:46.255 --> 25:49.345 much . President Trump has long said 25:49.345 --> 25:51.456 that he wants to minimize the loss of 25:51.456 --> 25:53.567 life in war , which which wherever it 25:53.567 --> 25:55.678 occurs in whatever country , which so 25:55.678 --> 25:57.623 many people . Appreciate . Can you 25:57.623 --> 25:59.456 detail the specific measures the 25:59.456 --> 26:01.678 Pentagon is taking to minimize civilian 26:01.678 --> 26:03.734 casualties and strikes inside Iran ? 26:03.734 --> 26:05.623 And secondarily , is the Pentagon 26:05.623 --> 26:07.845 prioritizing replenishment of precision 26:07.845 --> 26:09.845 guided munitions , long range range 26:09.845 --> 26:11.623 strike weapons , or air defense 26:11.623 --> 26:13.678 interceptors ? And can you share any 26:13.678 --> 26:15.623 details on which systems are being 26:15.623 --> 26:17.789 prioritized ? Yes , seeing it from the 26:17.789 --> 26:19.789 inside every single day , including 26:19.789 --> 26:22.199 this . No nation . Takes more 26:22.199 --> 26:24.839 precautions to ensure there's never 26:24.839 --> 26:27.006 targeting of civilians than the United 26:27.006 --> 26:28.895 States of America . From the boat 26:28.895 --> 26:31.061 strikes in the Caribbean , where every 26:31.061 --> 26:33.172 single strike is assessed to these to 26:33.172 --> 26:35.283 this campaign here , no nation in the 26:35.283 --> 26:37.395 history of warfare has ever attempted 26:37.395 --> 26:39.617 in every way possible to avoid civilian 26:39.617 --> 26:41.640 casualties and , and , and , and 26:41.640 --> 26:43.807 frankly that's a point that just isn't 26:43.807 --> 26:46.180 appreciated enough where things happen 26:46.599 --> 26:48.920 that , that . Need to be investigated . 26:49.000 --> 26:51.056 We will investigate to the to the to 26:51.056 --> 26:53.056 the question shouted in the back um 26:53.056 --> 26:55.111 that it's not open source is not the 26:55.111 --> 26:57.278 place to determine what did or did not 26:57.278 --> 26:59.278 happen . We take things very , very 26:59.278 --> 27:01.000 seriously and investigate them 27:01.000 --> 27:03.056 thoroughly , which takes time , uh , 27:03.056 --> 27:05.119 and , and which is why it does take 27:05.119 --> 27:08.280 time but ultimately , unlike Iran . 27:09.060 --> 27:11.229 Who targets civilians indiscriminately 27:11.229 --> 27:13.173 who we've seen in the intel moving 27:13.173 --> 27:14.896 rocket launchers into civilian 27:14.896 --> 27:16.673 neighborhoods near schools near 27:16.673 --> 27:18.896 hospitals to try to prevent our ability 27:18.896 --> 27:21.007 to strike that's how they operate and 27:21.007 --> 27:23.062 then they set , you know , the , the 27:23.062 --> 27:25.285 targeting of drones and missiles toward 27:25.285 --> 27:27.507 civilian targets . Hospitals , hotels , 27:27.507 --> 27:29.562 airports , we've Centcom's been very 27:29.562 --> 27:31.896 good about putting that information out . 27:31.896 --> 27:33.951 That's how terrorist regimes fight . 27:33.951 --> 27:36.173 They target civilians . We do not , and 27:36.173 --> 27:38.062 I can tell you this , this , this 27:38.062 --> 27:40.285 administration and this Pentagon , uh , 27:40.285 --> 27:42.396 focuses on that very , very closely . 27:44.079 --> 27:47.839 Go ahead sir , this morning the the 27:47.839 --> 27:49.895 Iranian government is saying a lot . 27:49.895 --> 27:52.006 They continue to say they're prepared 27:52.006 --> 27:54.117 for a long war . If that's the case , 27:54.117 --> 27:56.339 what could you tell the American people 27:56.339 --> 27:58.450 as far as the steps the Department of 27:58.450 --> 28:00.561 War is taking to make sure our troops 28:00.561 --> 28:02.672 have the protection and the resources 28:02.672 --> 28:05.006 they need as the mission continues . Uh , 28:05.006 --> 28:04.890 I think there's , there's one thing I , 28:04.969 --> 28:07.770 I , I can sleep quietly at night 28:07.770 --> 28:09.729 knowing is that we're giving every 28:09.729 --> 28:12.150 resource humanly possible to our troops 28:12.359 --> 28:14.415 on the front lines to ensure they're 28:14.415 --> 28:16.637 protected . In fact , as I said in that 28:16.637 --> 28:18.748 first press briefing . Even before we 28:18.748 --> 28:20.915 set the offense , we set the defense . 28:20.915 --> 28:22.859 We made sure we had the ability to 28:22.859 --> 28:24.692 defend and then we moved as many 28:24.692 --> 28:26.859 Americans off the bases and into other 28:26.859 --> 28:26.709 places as possible . So as this 28:26.709 --> 28:28.598 progresses , uh , the , the , the 28:28.598 --> 28:30.709 chairman or the question was asked to 28:30.709 --> 28:33.042 the chairman about how the enemy adapts . 28:33.042 --> 28:35.376 Of course we adapt too in real time and , 28:35.376 --> 28:37.209 and to watch our warriors , uh , 28:37.209 --> 28:39.431 iterate on air defense and interdiction 28:39.431 --> 28:41.542 on drones and missiles and how we get 28:41.542 --> 28:43.542 after it . Uh , it's incredible how 28:43.542 --> 28:45.709 they refine the tactics , bring in new 28:45.709 --> 28:47.931 assets , uh , to find different ways of 28:47.931 --> 28:50.042 getting at emerging technologies . So 28:50.042 --> 28:49.969 that is one of the things we're laser 28:49.969 --> 28:52.025 focused on every day . Yes , we're , 28:52.025 --> 28:53.969 we're going on offense , uh , more 28:53.969 --> 28:56.080 effectively than any country in human 28:56.080 --> 28:58.247 history , but we're also ensuring that 28:58.247 --> 29:00.358 in every way possible we're defending 29:00.358 --> 29:02.580 the best Americans we have who wear our 29:02.580 --> 29:04.747 uniform , no doubt . Uh , let's do one 29:04.747 --> 29:06.802 more . Secretary . The president has 29:06.802 --> 29:09.025 indicated that maybe the operation will 29:09.025 --> 29:11.136 wrap up sooner than he thought it was 29:11.136 --> 29:13.191 going to . Um , what's the plan once 29:13.191 --> 29:15.413 the US stops military action ? Will the 29:15.413 --> 29:17.469 US play a role in the aftermath , or 29:17.469 --> 29:19.650 will they leave Iran to sort it out ? 29:20.219 --> 29:22.386 Ultimately , the aftermath is going to 29:22.386 --> 29:25.020 be in America's interests . Our 29:25.020 --> 29:27.131 interests , we , we're not , we won't 29:27.131 --> 29:29.839 live under a nuclear blackmail scenario , 29:30.290 --> 29:32.457 uh , of conventional missiles that can 29:32.457 --> 29:34.512 target our people , which is why the 29:34.512 --> 29:36.568 objectives have been scoped from the 29:36.568 --> 29:38.290 beginning . missiles , missile 29:38.290 --> 29:40.568 production , a defense industrial base , 29:40.568 --> 29:42.734 navy , all in service of ensuring they 29:42.734 --> 29:44.734 don't have nuclear power projection 29:44.734 --> 29:46.734 capabilities . Uh , that's , that's 29:46.734 --> 29:48.623 what matters to President Trump . 29:48.623 --> 29:48.500 That's what matters to the American 29:48.500 --> 29:50.667 people and ultimately that's why we're 29:50.667 --> 29:52.611 so laser focused on ensuring those 29:52.611 --> 29:54.833 objectives . And those objectives alone 29:54.833 --> 29:57.056 are met . Thank you . I appreciate it . 29:57.056 --> 29:56.479 Thank you .