Iran RESPONDS to Trump's address as 12,300+ targets struck

[0:00] You're watching Fox & Friends First on this Thursday morning. I'm Carly Shimkus. [0:03] And I'm Todd Pyro. First, let's turn it over to Mike Emanuel in D.C. with the latest on Operation Epic Fury. Mike. [0:10] Todd, Carly, good morning to you. President Trump signaling to allies and adversaries America's military objectives will likely be complete soon, [0:18] as the United States military continues pounding strategic targets deep inside Iran to further degrade the Iranian regime's ability to project power. [0:28] U.S. Central Command says more than 12,300 targets have been struck. More than 155 Iranian vessels have been damaged or destroyed. [0:38] The commander-in-chief speaking to the nation about Operation Epic Fury, live from the White House in primetime. [0:46] I can say tonight that we are on track to complete all of America's military objectives shortly, very shortly. [0:53] We are going to hit them extremely hard over the next two to three weeks. [0:59] We're going to bring them back to the Stone Ages where they belong. [1:03] We are in this military operation so powerful, so brilliant against one of the most powerful countries for 32 days. [1:13] And the country has been eviscerated and essentially is really no longer a threat. [1:20] They were the bully of the Middle East, but they're the bully no longer. [1:23] This is a true investment in your children and your grandchildren's future. [1:28] The president also signaled. [1:30] He could end U.S. military operations without reopening the Strait of Hormuz, a critical shipping lane. [1:38] The United States imports almost no oil through the Hormuz Strait and won't be taking any in the future. [1:46] We don't need it. We haven't needed it and we don't need it. [1:49] The countries of the world that do receive oil through the Hormuz Strait must take care of that passage. [1:56] They must cherish it. [1:57] We will be helpful, but they should take the lead in protecting. [2:01] The oil that they so desperately depend on. [2:03] The president says Iran wants a ceasefire eager to stop the pounding from the U.S. military. [2:09] A spokesman for Iran's foreign ministry saying, quote, [2:14] we will not tolerate this vicious cycle of war, negotiation, ceasefire and then repeating the same pattern. [2:21] This is an unjust war that has been imposed on the Iranian people. [2:25] We have no choice but to fight back strongly. [2:28] Meanwhile, central Israel was hit by one of Iran's largest missiles. [2:31] The missile barrages in weeks as Israelis were celebrating Passover. [2:36] There was some damage to buildings that were hit. [2:39] Todd Carley. [2:40] All right, Mike Emanuel live for us in Washington. [2:42] Mike, thank you. Great to see you. [2:43] You bet. [2:44] Let's bring in retired Navy SEAL and host of the Everyday Warrior podcast, Mike Cirelli. [2:47] Mike, great to see you as well. [2:49] Thanks for joining us. [2:50] Another important part of President Trump's speech last night was when he forecast what will happen after that two to three week time frame if Iran does not make a deal. [2:59] Listen. [2:59] If during this period of time, no deal is made. [3:02] We have our eyes on key targets. [3:05] If there is no deal, we are going to hit each and every one of their electric generating plants very hard and probably simultaneously. [3:14] We have not hit their oil, even though that's the easiest target of all, because it would not give them even a small chance of survival or rebuilding. [3:25] But we could hit it and it would be gone. [3:28] And there's not a thing they could do about it. [3:31] So the president laying out the consequences. [3:33] There are no uncertain terms. [3:35] How does this war close out? [3:39] Well, you know, Carly, I found that a very interesting speech last night. [3:42] It was not a mission accomplished. [3:44] It's there's more to do on a self-imposed timeline. [3:47] We have to do it very fast. [3:49] I think you just hit it. [3:50] The largest omission was the straight of horror moves in the future security operations of it, which gives him three weeks to conduct diplomacy to figure this out. [3:58] But here are the four things that are going to happen over the next two to three weeks. [4:02] One, thin the herd. [4:03] They're going to continue to strike. [4:04] The regime leadership to boot to the financial jugular. [4:08] They're going to either seize or destroy oil infrastructure. [4:11] Turn the lights out. [4:12] They will hit the energy infrastructure for the people in the regime of Iran. [4:16] But the fourth is most the most important. [4:19] It is going to be this next wave, a coastal killer hitting all their offensive capabilities that threaten the straight of horror moves. [4:28] I think ultimately what's going to end up is there will be no formal ceasefire or treaty or agreement whatsoever. [4:34] And we will find ourselves in security operations for the foreseeable future, like we have since 1949 in the Gulf, doing security operations to secure the straight of horror moves, regardless of Trump challenging the allies to step forward. [4:48] Mike, it's tough to do security operations with just planes. [4:52] Read between the lines. [4:54] Does that mean boots on the ground? [4:58] There is a possibility over the next two to three weeks of limited ground operations. [5:02] And we've been saying it for weeks. [5:03] Karg Island is probably the most strategic from there. [5:06] Oil infrastructure. [5:07] However, Keshem, LaRocque or the car and, you know, Aba Moussa or Bader Baras are the most important to the security of the straights of horror moves. [5:19] So if we do go in, it will be limited and then we will get out because the biggest risk on those offensive operations is actually not the offense taking it, but the defense of holding it because we put our troops at risk for one way drones. [5:33] And when it does come to the straight, Mike, the president said. [5:36] The straight will naturally open up because Iran is going to want to be able to sell oil once this war is over. [5:44] From a military standpoint, and I hear what you're saying about potentially having to stay there to hold on to the straight. [5:51] But do those words signal to you a hands off approach from a military standpoint and allowing the straight just to open up once we leave? [5:59] I don't think that's a reality, Carly. [6:02] And here's why. [6:02] Look at the end of the Gulf War one for over 10 years. [6:06] We had to conduct what we call containment. [6:08] In security operations, I believe it was, you know, northern and southern watch that eventually became Desert Fox. [6:14] I do think we're going to have to maintain a naval presence as well as our aerial assets for containment and security operations of the straight horror moves. [6:22] That's just the reality we live in. [6:24] Mike, did our allies get the message last night that it's their turn to police the straight of horror moves? [6:29] Because, again, it is them, those folks, those nations that actually use the oil that passes through the straight. [6:37] Well, Todd, great question. [6:38] Here's the. [6:39] Promising news that we've heard is that Keir Starmer, Britain, is holding a meeting with NATO allies to discuss the security operations for for the straight of horror moves. [6:49] Ultimately, Trump is right. [6:50] We get two percent of our oil imports from the straight. [6:54] Europe and Asia are most at risk. [6:55] We're seeing a lot of proactive rhetoric coming out of Japan and South Korea. [7:00] So they'll step forward because the shock of the oil process crisis is hitting them the hardest. [7:05] Again, we go back to the reality of the situation. [7:09] China and Asia have to step forward because they are dependent on the oil coming out of the straits. [7:13] And finally, Mike, as we talk about the potential last phase of this war, could be a good time now to talk about the Iranian people and the fact that they were tasked, and I'm sure many of them want to accomplish the mission of rising up and accomplishing regime change themselves. [7:28] Are the Iranian people still a factor here? [7:31] They are. [7:32] Carly, this is what I would say is President Trump has set the conditions. [7:35] It may be weeks. [7:36] It may be months. [7:38] It may be years before we see a regime change. [7:40] But he set the conditions by decapitating the leadership, degrading their military capability. [7:45] What we were not successful at, and it's a very hard task, was eliminating their internal security apparatus. [7:51] But if we hit the energy infrastructure, we're talking about the grid, and we continue to degrade the regime's capability, we may see that uprising. [7:59] We're just not going to see it in the next two to three weeks. [8:01] Yeah. [8:02] And Israel and the U.S. have already hit over 12,000 targets, sunk more than 155 vessels, of course, killed senior leaders like the Ayatollah. [8:10] So we will see what the next two to three weeks brings. [8:13] Mike Cerulli, thank you so much for joining us once again. [8:14] Thanks, Mike. [8:15] We appreciate it.