LIVE — General Caine Stopped Trump From Using Nuclear Codes Against Iran? — WAR

[0:00] joint force remains postured and ready to resume major combat operations at literally a moment's [0:07] notice. This morning I'd like to give you an update on the ongoing blockade in the CENTCOM [0:13] AOR area of responsibility. On Monday 13 April at 10 a.m. Eastern Standard Time at the direction [0:21] of the President, America's joint force began implementing a blockade against Iran under the [0:28] leadership of Admiral Cooper and the team at CENTCOM. Let me be clear, this blockade applies to [0:36] all ships regardless of nationality heading into or from Iranian ports. The U.S. action is a blockade [0:47] of Iran's ports and coastline, not a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Enforcement will occur [0:55] inside Iran's territorial seas and in international waters. In addition to this blockade, the joint [1:04] force through operations and activities in other areas of responsibility like the Pacific area of [1:12] responsibility under the command of Admiral Paparo will actively pursue any Iranian flagged vessel [1:20] or any vessel attempting to provide material support to Iran. This includes dark fleet vessels carrying [1:29] Iranian oil. As most of you know, dark fleet vessels are those illicit or illegal ships evading [1:36] international regulations, sanctions, or insurance requirements. More than 10,000 sailors, marines, [1:44] and airmen. Over a dozen ships and dozens of aircraft are executing this mission. And let me walk you [1:52] through this operation a little bit. Please go to the first line. First to the graphic. This is taken [1:58] before the blockade began. North is up. You can see the blockade line here in the center of the graphic [2:05] denoted by the red dashed line. This map is a pull from our common operating picture that we use [2:15] to allow commanders and key leaders to see what is happening in near real time. We just grabbed screen [2:23] grabs to highlight the actions and activities. What is not shown is how incredibly congested this area is [2:33] and the incredible work that our sailors are doing to ensure that they can work in and around an incredibly [2:40] busy water space. What is also not depicted here is the massive force of fighters, intelligence aircraft, [2:52] helicopters, and other embarked forces to include aerial refueling tankers that are up overhead this [2:59] blockade area. You'll note that the U.S. forces are in blue. Iranian ships are in red. And as we started this [3:10] blockade, there were seven ships of interest that were of concern for U.S. Central Command. [3:18] Through a variety of intelligence tools and with the assistance of the Office of Naval Intelligence and [3:26] other intelligence agencies, the force began to hunt for potential interdictors at 10 a.m. Eastern [3:34] Standard Time. Next slide, please. It's now 1240 Eastern Daylight Time, two hours and 40 minutes into the [3:43] blockade as attempted blockade runners attempt to hop the line. U.S. forces began to commit. Out in front [3:52] of them was a range of intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and tactical assets. And immediately, [3:59] these runners began to see, sense, and feel America's combat power compressing upon them. The lead ship, [4:09] normally a destroyer as depicted here, along with air power off of the USS Abraham Lincoln Strike Group, [4:17] began to move towards those ships. At each point, the United States Navy will transmit a warning. A young [4:28] sailor normally on the bridge of one of those destroyers, a junior officer picks up that mic and [4:34] transmits, and I quote, do not attempt to breach the blockade. Vessels will be boarded for interdiction [4:42] and seizure transiting to or from Iranian ports. Turn around or prepare to be boarded. If you do not [4:51] comply with this blockade, we will use force. And as this message is being transmitted, as I mentioned [4:59] earlier, those ship masters can literally see, sense, and feel the pressure around them. It's a finely tuned [5:06] machine, rehearsed multiple times, and executed now 13 times since the blockade has begun. Next slide, [5:15] please. We're now 24 hours plus into the blockade. You can see the turning around of multiple ships, [5:24] 12 of which stayed inside the blockade line, one of which not depicted off to the eastern side, turned [5:31] around before even attempting it. Any ship that would cross the blockade would result in our sailors [5:39] executing pre-planned tactics designed to bring the force to that ship. If need be, board the ship and [5:47] take her over. And that includes a series of escalated force options, which could include warning [5:53] shots and others. Next slide. The final graphic shows taken at 11 20 pm the night of 14 April. You can see [6:03] that the captains of all these ships have made the wise decision not to move, transit, or run this [6:12] blockade. As I mentioned, so far 13 ships have made the wise choice of turning around. And as we continue [6:19] to hold this blockade at the order of the Secretary and the President, any vessel that compares to comply [6:25] with our instructions will be dealt with accordingly. As of this morning, U.S. Central Command has not been [6:33] required to board any particular ships. And I'll remind you that we are also conducting similar maritime [6:42] interdiction actions and activities in the Pacific AOR against those ships that left that area before we [6:50] began the blockade. Before I turn it over to Admiral Cooper, I want to talk briefly today about the men and [6:57] women enforcing the blockade, America's sailors and Marines, and today particularly our destroyer and [7:04] surface forces. When we talk about an American destroyer, it's important that you and the American [7:10] people understand their capabilities. An Arleigh Burke-class destroyer are the backbone of the United States [7:17] Navy surface fleet. Over 500 feet long, they displace 9,000 tons, and it is the sports car of the United States [7:27] Navy. From the keel to the mast, they stand nearly 10 stories tall, and their four gas turbine engines can [7:35] drive the ship at 30 plus knots. These ships are armed to the teeth with surface tear missiles, land attack [7:43] cruise missiles, anti-ship missiles, anti-submarine rockets, torpedoes, five-inch naval guns, multiple [7:50] electronic warfare systems, embarked helicopters, extending the reach and capability of each and [7:57] every one of these destroyers. But far and away, the most important weapon on board these ships is the [8:05] American sailor. Over 300 warfighters are the heart and soul of these warships. At sea, sometimes for [8:13] months, and these ships out in the CENTCOM AOR have been out there for months, they operate around the [8:19] clock in a constant state of readiness, always delivering for our joint force. It's hot in the [8:26] engine room, the engineering team keeps the lights on and the ship powered and able to respond to the orders [8:33] from the bridge. On that bridge, our sailors maintain a constant watch, maneuvering the ship tactically and [8:40] safely through always congested water space. And there is a lot out there. It is like driving a sports car [8:49] through a supermarket parking lot on a payday weekend with thousands of kids in that parking lot as you [8:56] attempt to maneuver through there to get to that ship that would attempt to run that blockade. [9:04] Down in the Combat Information Center, the CIC, the Tactical Warfare Center of the ship, that is where the [9:10] decisions are made. As threats appear, these young sailors are making real-time decisions on how to identify [9:17] these threats and handle them, and they always deliver. These ships are run by the youngest sailors [9:26] in our surface warfare navy. The helmsman, the sailor on the watch at the bridge, is normally just between [9:35] 18 to 19 years old and they are trusted to drive this warship through that supermarket parking lot [9:42] without hitting anything. The conning officer, an equally young commissioned officer who's normally [9:49] just a few years out of college, is the ones that are giving that young helmsman the orders on where to [9:56] take that American warship to execute the mission that the secretary and the president has given us. [10:02] These are incredibly well-trained sailors. They are led by incredible leaders, salty experienced leaders, [10:12] and trusted with deep responsibility. And I'm so humbled and proud of America's navy. These sailors [10:20] choose to take the road less traveled, to go into the historic surface navy, and they deliver every single day. [10:28] Finally, as I often do, I want to highlight one of those surface sailors today and remember our fallen. [10:35] Today we remember Ensign Robert Thompson of the U.S. Laffey, who died on this day in 1945 in the Battle of Okinawa. [10:43] He was killed while fighting a fire along with 31 others as two Japanese kamikaze aircraft hit their ship. [10:52] He passed away one week after his 22nd birthday and was posthumously awarded the navy cross. We remember [10:59] Ensign Thompson today and all of our World War II vets who continue to give us the gift of a great example. [11:06] And those surface warfare sailors who are out there doing the job right now take the courage, grit, [11:13] and determination that those World War II vets gave us into these actions and activities that they're [11:20] tasked to do every single day. Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for being here today. [11:25] Last week, the President of the United States directed a ceasefire that temporarily paused major combat [11:30] operations in Iran. The unprecedented effort by America's joint force during Operation Epic Fury set [11:37] the conditions for this ceasefire. And as the Secretary said, I'd like to emphasize during this pause [11:44] that the United States Joint Force remains postured and ready to resume major combat operations at [11:51] literally a moment's notice. This morning, I'd like to give you an update on the ongoing blockade in [11:57] the CENTCOM AOR area of responsibility. On Monday, 13 April at 10 a.m. Eastern Standard Time, [12:06] at the direction of the President, America's Joint Force began implementing a blockade against Iran [12:13] under the leadership of Admiral Cooper and the team at CENTCOM. Let me be clear, this blockade applies to [12:22] all ships, regardless of nationality, heading into or from Iranian ports. The U.S. action is a blockade [12:32] of Iran's ports and coastline, not a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Enforcement will occur inside Iran's [12:42] territorial seas and in international waters. In addition to this blockade, the Joint Force, [12:51] through operations and activities in other areas of responsibility, like the Pacific area of [12:59] command of Admiral Paparro, will actively pursue any Iranian-flagged vessel or any vessel attempting to [13:09] provide material support to Iran. This includes dark fleet vessels carrying Iranian oil. As most of you [13:17] know, dark fleet vessels are those illicit or illegal ships evading international regulations, sanctions, [13:25] or insurance requirements. More than 10,000 sailors, marines, and airmen, over a dozen ships and dozens [13:33] of aircraft are executing this mission. And let me walk you through this operation a little bit. Please [13:39] go to the first line. First to the graphic. This is taken before the blockade began. North is up. You can see [13:48] the blockade line here in the center of the graphic, denoted by the red dashed line. This map is a pull [13:57] from our common operating picture that we use to allow commanders and key leaders to see what is [14:05] happening in near real time. We just grabbed screen grabs to highlight the actions and activities. What is [14:13] not shown is how incredibly congested this area is and the incredible work that our sailors are doing to [14:22] ensure that they can work in and around an incredibly busy water space. What is also not depicted here is [14:31] the massive force of fighters, intelligence aircraft, helicopters, and other embarked forces to include [14:41] aerial refueling tankers that are up overhead this blockade area. You'll note that the U.S. forces are [14:49] in blue. Iranian ships are in red. And as we started this blockade, there were seven ships of interest [15:00] that were of concern for U.S. Central Command. Through a variety of intelligence tools and with the assistance [15:09] of the Office of Naval Intelligence and other intelligence agencies, the force began to hunt [15:15] hunt for potential interdictors at 10 a.m. Eastern Standard Time. Next slide, please. It's now 1240 [15:24] Eastern Daylight Time, two hours and 40 minutes into the blockade as attempted blockade runners attempt to [15:32] hop the line. U.S. forces began to commit. Out in front of them was a range of intelligence, surveillance, [15:41] reconnaissance, and tactical assets. And immediately these runners began to see, sense, and feel America's [15:49] combat power compressing upon them. The lead ship, normally a destroyer as depicted here along with air [15:58] power off of the USS Abraham Lincoln Strike Group, began to move towards those ships. At each point, [16:09] the United States Navy will transmit a warning. A young sailor, normally on the bridge of one of those [16:16] destroyers, a junior officer, picks up that mic and transmits, and I quote, do not attempt to breach the [16:23] blockade. Vessels will be boarded for interdiction and seizure transiting to or from Iranian ports. Turn [16:33] around or prepare to be boarded. If you do not comply with this blockade, we will use force. And as this [16:42] message is being transmitted, as I mentioned earlier, those ship masters can literally see, sense, and feel [16:49] the pressure around them. It's a finely tuned machine rehearsed multiple times and executed now 13 times [16:58] since the blockade has begun. Next slide, please. We're now 24 hours plus into the blockade. You can see [17:07] the turning around of multiple ships, 12 of which stayed inside the blockade line, one of which not [17:14] depicted off to the eastern side turned around before even attempting it. Any ship that would cross the [17:21] blockade would result in our sailors executing pre-planned tactics designed to bring the force to [17:29] that ship, if need be, board the ship and take her over. And that includes a series of escalated force [17:37] options, which could include warning shots and others. Next slide. The final graphic shows taken [17:45] at 11.20 p.m. the night of 14 April. You can see that the captains of all these ships have made the [17:53] wise decision not to move, transit, or run this blockade. As I mentioned, so far 13 ships have made [18:01] the wise choice of turning around. And as we continue to hold this blockade at the order of the Secretary and [18:08] the President, any vessel that compares to comply with our instructions will be dealt with accordingly. [18:14] As of this morning, U.S. Central Command has not been required to board any particular ships. [18:22] And I'll remind you that we are also conducting similar maritime interdiction actions and activities [18:30] in the Pacific AOR against those ships that left that area before we began the blockade. [18:38] Before I turn it over to Admiral Cooper, I want to talk briefly today about the men and women enforcing [18:44] the blockade. America's sailors and Marines, and today particularly our destroyer and surface [18:50] forces. When we talk about an American destroyer, it's important that you and the American people [18:56] understand their capabilities. An Arleigh Burke-class destroyer are the backbone of the United States Navy [19:03] surface fleet. Over 500 feet long, they displace 9,000 tons, and it is the sports car of the United States Navy. [19:13] From the keel to the mast, they stand nearly 10 stories tall, and their four gas turbine engines can [19:20] drive the ship at 30-plus knots. These ships are armed to the teeth with surface-to-air missiles, [19:28] land-attack cruise missiles, anti-ship missiles, anti-submarine rockets, torpedoes, five-inch naval guns, [19:35] multiple electronic warfare systems, embarked helicopters, extending the reach and capability [19:42] of each and every one of these destroyers. But far and away, the most important weapon on board these [19:50] ships is the American sailor. Over 300 warfighters are the heart and soul of these warships. At sea, [19:57] sometimes for months, and these ships out in the CENTCOM AOR have been out there for months, they operate [20:04] around the clock in a constant state of readiness, always delivering for our joint force. It's hot in [20:11] the engine room. The engineering team keeps the lights on and the ship powered and able to respond [20:18] to the orders from the bridge. On that bridge, our sailors maintain a constant watch, maneuvering the [20:24] ship tactically and safely through always congested water space. And there is a lot out there. It is like [20:33] driving a sports car through a supermarket parking lot on a payday weekend with thousands of kids in [20:40] that parking lot as you attempt to maneuver through there to get to that ship that would attempt to run [20:47] that blockade. Down in the Combat Information Center, the CIC, the Tactical Warfare Center of the ship, [20:55] that is where the decisions are made. As threats appear, these young sailors are making real-time [21:01] decisions on how to identify these threats and handle them, and they always deliver. These ships are run by [21:09] the youngest sailors in our surface warfare navy. The helmsman, the sailor on the watch at the bridge, [21:18] is normally just between 18 to 19 years old, and they are trusted to drive this warship through that [21:26] supermarket parking lot without hitting anything. The conning officer, an equally young commissioned [21:33] officer who's normally just a few years out of college, is the ones that are giving that young's [21:39] helmsman the orders on where to take that American warship to execute the mission that the secretary [21:46] and the president has given us. These are incredibly well-trained sailors. They are led by incredible [21:55] leaders, salty, experienced leaders, and trusted with deep responsibility. And I'm so humbled and proud of [22:03] America's Navy. These sailors choose to take the road less traveled to go into the historic surface navy, [22:10] and they deliver every single day. Finally, as I often do, I want to highlight one of those surface sailors [22:18] today and remember our fallen. Today we remember Ensign Robert Thompson of the U.S. Laffey, who died on this day [22:25] in 1945 in the Battle of Okinawa. He was killed while fighting a fire along with 31 others as two [22:34] Japanese kamikaze aircraft hit their ship. He passed away one week after his 22nd birthday and was [22:41] posthumously awarded the Navy Cross. We remember Ensign Thompson today and all of our World War II vets [22:48] who continue to give us the gift of a great example. And those surface warfare sailors who are out there [22:55] doing the job right now take the courage, grit, and determination that those World War II vets gave us [23:02] into these actions and activities that they're tasked to do every single day. Good morning, [23:08] ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for being here today. Last week the President of the United States directed [23:13] a ceasefire that temporarily paused major combat operations in Iran. The unprecedented effort by [23:19] America's Joint Force during Operation Epic Fury set the conditions for this ceasefire. And as the [23:26] Secretary said, I'd like to emphasize during this pause that the United States Joint Force remains [23:32] postured and ready to resume major combat operations at literally a moment's notice. This morning I'd like [23:40] to give you an update on the ongoing blockade in the CENTCOM AOR area of responsibility. On Monday, [23:48] 13 April at 10 a.m. Eastern Standard Time at the direction of the President, America's Joint Force [23:55] began implementing a blockade against Iran under the leadership of Admiral Cooper and the team at CENTCOM. [24:03] Let me be clear. This blockade applies to all ships, regardless of nationality, heading into or from Iranian ports. [24:16] The U.S. action is a blockade of Iran's ports and coastline, not a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. [24:24] Enforcement will occur inside Iran's territorial seas and in international waters. [24:32] In addition to this blockade, the Joint Force, through operations and activities in other areas [24:40] of responsibility, like the Pacific area of responsibility under the command of Admiral Paparo, [24:47] will actively pursue any Iranian-flagged vessel or any vessel attempting to provide material support to Iran. [24:57] This includes dark fleet vessels carrying Iranian oil. As most of you know, dark fleet vessels are [25:04] those illicit or illegal ships evading international regulations, sanctions, or insurance requirements. [25:12] More than 10,000 sailors, marines, and airmen, over a dozen ships and dozens of aircraft, [25:20] are executing this mission. And let me walk you through this operation a little bit. Please go to the first slide. [25:26] First, to the graphic. This is taken before the blockade began. North is up. You can see the [25:34] blockade line here in the center of the graphic, denoted by the red dashed line. This map is a pull [25:43] from our common operating picture that we use to allow commanders and key leaders to see what is happening [25:52] in near real time. We just grabbed screen grabs to highlight the actions and activities. What is not [25:59] shown is how incredibly congested this area is and the incredible work that our sailors are doing to [26:07] ensure that they can work in and around an incredibly busy water space. What is also not depicted here is the [26:17] massive force of fighters, intelligence aircraft, helicopters, and other embarked forces to include [26:26] aerial refueling tankers that are up overhead this blockade area. You'll note that the U.S. forces are in [26:34] blue. Iranian ships are in red. And as we started this blockade, there were seven ships of interest that [26:46] were of concern for U.S. Central Command. Through a variety of intelligence tools and with the assistance [26:54] of the Office of Naval Intelligence and other intelligence agencies, the force began to hunt [27:02] for potential interdictors at 10 a.m. Eastern Standard Time. Next slide, please. It's now 1240 [27:10] Eastern Daylight Time, two hours and 40 minutes into the blockade as attempted blockade runners attempt to [27:18] hop the line. U.S. forces began to commit. Out in front of them was a range of intelligence, surveillance, [27:26] reconnaissance, and tactical assets. And immediately, these runners began to see, sense, and feel [27:34] America's combat power compressing upon them. The lead ship, normally a destroyer as depicted here, [27:43] along with air power off of the USS Abraham Lincoln Strike Group, began to move towards those ships. [27:53] At each point, the United States Navy will transmit a warning. A young sailor, normally on the bridge of [28:01] one of those destroyers, a junior officer, picks up that mic and transmits, and I quote, [28:07] do not attempt to breach the blockade. Vessels will be boarded for interdiction and seizure, [28:14] transiting to or from Iranian ports. Turn around or prepare to be boarded. [28:22] If you do not comply with this blockade, we will use force. And as this message is being transmitted, [28:29] as I mentioned earlier, those ship masters can literally see, sense, and feel the pressure around [28:36] them. It's a finely tuned machine, rehearsed multiple times, and executed now 13 times since the blockade [28:44] has begun. Next slide, please. We're now 24 hours plus into the blockade. You can see the turning [28:53] around of multiple ships, 12 of which stayed inside the blockade line, one of which not depicted off to [29:01] the eastern side, turned around before even attempting it. Any ship that would cross the blockade [29:08] would result in our sailors executing pre-planned tactics designed to bring the force to that ship. [29:15] If need be, board the ship and take her over. And that includes a series of escalated force options, [29:23] which could include warning shots and others. Next slide. The final graphic shows taken at 1120 p.m. the [29:32] night of 14 April. You can see that the captains of all these ships have made the wise decision not to [29:40] move, transit, or run this blockade. As I mentioned, so far 13 ships have made the wise choice of turning [29:49] around. And as we continue to hold this blockade at the order of the Secretary and the President, [29:54] any vessel that compares to comply with our instructions will be dealt with accordingly. [30:00] As of this morning, U.S. Central Command has not been required to board any particular ships. [30:08] And I'll remind you that we are also conducting similar maritime interdiction actions and activities [30:16] in the Pacific AOR against those ships that left that area before we began the blockade. [30:23] Before I turn it over to Admiral Cooper, I want to talk briefly today about the men and women [30:29] enforcing the blockade, America's sailors and marines, and today particularly our destroyer and [30:35] surface forces. When we talk about an American destroyer, it's important that you and the American [30:42] people understand their capabilities. An Arleigh Burke-class destroyer are the backbone of the United States [30:48] Navy surface fleet. Over 500 feet long, they displace 9,000 tons, and it is the sports car [30:57] of the United States Navy. From the keel to the mast, they stand nearly 10 stories tall, and their four [31:04] gas turbine engines can drive the ship at 30 plus knots. These ships are armed to the teeth with surface [31:12] air missiles, land attack cruise missiles, anti-ship missiles, anti-submarine rockets, torpedoes, five-inch [31:20] naval guns, multiple electronic warfare systems, embarked helicopters, extending the reach and capability [31:28] of each and every one of these destroyers. But far and away, the most important weapon on board these ships [31:36] is the American sailor. Over 300 war fighters are the heart and soul of these warships. At sea, sometimes [31:44] for months, and these ships out in the CENTCOM AOR have been out there for months, they operate around [31:50] the clock in a constant state of readiness, always delivering for our joint force. It's hot in the [31:57] engine room, the engineering team keeps the lights on and the ship powered and able to respond to the orders [32:04] from the bridge. On that bridge, our sailors maintain a constant watch, maneuvering the ship tactically [32:11] and safely through always congested water space. And there is a lot out there. It is like driving a sports [32:20] car through a supermarket parking lot on a payday weekend with thousands of kids in that parking lot [32:27] as you attempt to maneuver through there to get to that ship that would attempt to run that blockade. [32:35] Down in the Combat Information Center, the CIC, the Tactical Warfare Center of the ship, [32:41] that is where the decisions are made. As threats appear, these young sailors are making real-time [32:47] decisions on how to identify these threats and handle them, and they always deliver. These ships are run by [32:55] the youngest sailors in our surface warfare navy. The helmsman, the sailor on the watch at the bridge, [33:04] is normally just between 18 to 19 years old, and they are trusted to drive this warship through that [33:11] supermarket parking lot without hitting anything. The conning officer, an equally young commissioned officer, [33:19] who's normally just a few years out of college, is the ones that are giving that young helmsman [33:26] the orders on where to take that American warship to execute the mission that the secretary [33:32] and the president has given us. These are incredibly well-trained sailors. They are led by incredible [33:40] leaders, salty, experienced leaders, and trusted with deep responsibility. And I'm so humbled and [33:48] proud of America's navy. These sailors choose to take the road less traveled to go into the historic [33:55] surface navy, and they deliver every single day. Finally, as I often do, I want to highlight one of [34:03] those surface sailors today and remember our fallen. Today we remember Ensign Robert Thompson of the U.S. [34:09] Laffey, who died on this day in 1945 in the Battle of Okinawa. He was killed while fighting a fire, [34:17] along with 31 others, as two Japanese kamikaze aircraft hit their ship. He passed away one week [34:24] after his 22nd birthday and was posthumately awarded the Navy Cross. We remember Ensign Thompson [34:31] today and all of our World War II vets who continue to give us the gift of a great example. And those [34:38] surface warfare sailors who are out there doing the job right now take the courage, grit, and determination [34:46] that those World War II vets gave us into these actions and activities that they're tasked to do [34:52] every single day. Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for being here today. [34:56] Last week, the President of the United States directed a ceasefire that temporarily paused major combat [35:01] operations in Iran. The unprecedented effort by America's joint force during Operation Epic Fury set the [35:09] conditions for this ceasefire. And as the Secretary said, I'd like to emphasize during this pause that [35:15] the United States joint force remains postured and ready to resume major combat operations at literally [35:23] a moment's notice. This morning, I'd like to give you an update on the ongoing blockade in the CENTCOM [35:30] AOR area of responsibility. On Monday, 13 April at 10 a.m. Eastern Standard Time, at the direction of [35:38] the President, America's joint force began implementing a blockade against Iran under the leadership of [35:45] Admiral Cooper and the team at CENTCOM. Let me be clear, this blockade applies to all ships, regardless of [35:55] nationality, heading into or from Iranian ports. The U.S. action is a blockade of Iran's ports and coastline, [36:06] not a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Enforcement will occur inside Iran's territorial seas and in [36:16] international waters. In addition to this blockade, the joint force, through operations and activities in [36:24] other areas of responsibility, like the Pacific area of responsibility, under the command of Admiral Paparo, [36:32] will actively pursue any Iranian-flagged vessel or any vessel attempting to provide material support to Iran. [36:43] This includes dark fleet vessels carrying Iranian oil. As most of you know, dark fleet vessels are those illicit [36:51] or illegal ships evading international regulations, sanctions, or insurance requirements. More than 10,000 [37:00] sailors, marines, and airmen, over a dozen ships and dozens of aircraft, are executing this mission. [37:07] And let me walk you through this operation a little bit. Please go to the first slide. [37:13] First to the graphic, this is taken before the blockade began. North is up, you can see the blockade [37:20] line here in the center of the graphic, denoted by the red dashed line. This map is a poll from our common [37:30] operating picture that we use to allow commanders and key leaders to see what is happening in near real [37:38] time. We just grabbed screen grabs to highlight the actions and activities. What is not shown is how [37:46] incredibly congested this area is and the incredible work that our sailors are doing to ensure that they can work [37:54] in and around an incredibly busy water space. What is also not depicted here is the massive force of [38:05] fighters, intelligence aircraft, helicopters, and other embarked forces to include aerial refueling tankers [38:14] that are up overhead this blockade area. You'll note that U.S. forces are in blue. Iranian ships are in red. [38:26] And as we started this blockade, there were seven ships of interest that were of concern for U.S. Central [38:35] Command. Through a variety of intelligence tools and with the assistance of the Office of Naval Intelligence and [38:43] other intelligence agencies, the force began to hunt for potential interdictors at 10 a.m. Eastern [38:51] Standard Time. Next slide, please. It's now 1240 Eastern Daylight Time, two hours and 40 minutes into the [39:00] blockade as attempted blockade runners attempt to hop the line. U.S. forces began to commit. Out in front of [39:09] them was a range of intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and tactical assets. And immediately [39:16] these runners began to see, sense, and feel America's combat power compressing upon them. The lead ship, [39:26] normally a destroyer as depicted here, along with air power off of the USS Abraham Lincoln Strike Group, [39:33] began to move towards those ships. At each point, the United States Navy will transmit a warning. A young [39:45] sailor, normally on the bridge of one of those destroyers, a junior officer, picks up that mic [39:51] and transmits, and I quote, do not attempt to breach the blockade. Vessels will be boarded for [39:58] interdiction and seizure transiting to or from Iranian ports. Turn around or prepare to be boarded. If you do [40:08] not comply with this blockade, we will use force. And as this message is being transmitted, as I mentioned [40:15] earlier, those ship masters can literally see, sense, and feel the pressure around them. It's a finely tuned [40:23] machine, rehearsed multiple times, and executed now 13 times since the blockade has begun. Next slide, [40:32] please. We're now 24 hours plus into the blockade. You can see the turning around of multiple ships, [40:41] 12 of which stayed inside the blockade line, one of which not depicted off to the eastern side, [40:48] turned around before even attempting it. Any ship that would cross the blockade would result in our [40:55] sailors executing pre-planned tactics designed to bring the force to that ship. If need be, board the [41:02] ship and take her over. And that includes a series of escalated force options, which could include [41:10] warning shots and others. Next slide. The final graphic shows taken at 11 20 p.m. the night of 14 April. [41:19] You can see that the captain of all captains of all these ships have made the wise decision not to move [41:27] transit or run this blockade. As I mentioned, so far 13 ships have made the wise choice of turning around. [41:35] And as we continue to hold this blockade at the order of the secretary and the president, [41:40] any vessel that compares to comply with our instructions will be dealt with accordingly. [41:45] As of this morning, U.S. Central Command has not been required to board any particular ships. [41:54] And I'll remind you that we are also conducting similar maritime interdiction actions and activities [42:01] in the Pacific AOR against those ships that left that area before we began the blockade. [42:09] Before I turn it over to Admiral Cooper, I want to talk briefly today about the men and women [42:14] enforcing the blockade, America's sailors and marines, and today particularly our destroyer and surface [42:21] forces. When we talk about an American destroyer, it's important that you and the American people [42:28] understand their capabilities. An Arleigh Burke-class destroyer are the backbone of the United States [42:34] Navy surface fleet. Over 500 feet long, they displaced 9,000 tons, and it is the sports car [42:42] of the United States Navy. From the keel to the mast, they stand nearly 10 stories tall, [42:49] and their four gas turbine engines can drive the ship at 30 plus knots. These ships are armed to the [42:56] teeth with surface tear missiles, land attack cruise missiles, anti-ship missiles, anti-submarine [43:03] rockets, torpedoes, five-inch naval guns, multiple electronic warfare systems, embarked helicopters, [43:11] extending the reach and capability of each and every one of these destroyers. But far and away, [43:18] the most important weapon on board these ships is the American sailor. Over 300 warfighters are the [43:26] heart and soul of these warships. At sea, sometimes for months, and these ships out in the CENTCOM AOR [43:33] have been out there for months, they operate around the clock in a constant state of readiness, [43:39] always delivering for our joint force. It's hot in the engine room. The engineering team keeps the lights [43:46] on and the ship powered and able to respond to the orders from the bridge. On that bridge, [43:52] our sailors maintain a constant watch, maneuvering the ship tactically and safely through always [44:00] congested water space. And there is a lot out there. It is like driving a sports car through a [44:07] supermarket parking lot on a payday weekend with thousands of kids in that parking lot as you attempt [44:14] to maneuver through there to get to that ship that would attempt to run that blockade. Down in the [44:21] Combat Information Center, the CIC, the Tactical Warfare Center of the ship, that is where the decisions [44:28] are made. As threats appear, these young sailors are making real-time decisions on how to identify [44:34] these threats and handle them, and they always deliver. These ships are run by the youngest sailors [44:42] in our surface warfare navy. The helmsman, the sailor on the watch at the bridge, is normally just between [44:51] 18 to 19 years old, and they are trusted to drive this warship through that supermarket parking lot [44:59] without hitting anything. The conning officer, an equally young commissioned officer, who's normally [45:06] just a few years out of college, is the ones that are giving that young helmsman the orders on where to [45:13] take that American warship to execute the mission that the secretary and the president has given us. These [45:21] are incredibly well-trained sailors. They are led by incredible leaders, salty experienced leaders, and [45:29] trusted with deep responsibility, and I'm so humbled and proud of America's navy. These sailors choose to [45:37] take the road less traveled to go into the historic surface navy, and they deliver every single day. Finally, as I [45:46] often do, I want to highlight one of those surface sailors today and remember our fallen. Today we [45:53] remember Ensign Robert Thompson of the U.S. Laffey, who died on this day in 1945 in the Battle of Okinawa. He [46:01] was killed while fighting a fire along with 31 others as two Japanese kamikaze aircraft hit their ship. He [46:09] passed away one week after his 22nd birthday and was posthumately awarded the navy cross. We remember [46:16] Ensign Thompson today and all of our World War II vets, fair sailors who are out there doing the job right now, [46:24] take the courage, grit, and determination that those World War II vets gave us into these actions and activities that [46:31] they're tasked to do every single day. Morning, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for being here today. Last week, the [46:38] President of the United States directed a ceasefire that temporarily paused major combat operations in Iran. The [46:44] unprecedented effort by America's Joint Force during Operation Epic Fury set the conditions for this [46:50] ceasefire. And as the Secretary said, I'd like to emphasize during this pause that the United States [46:57] Joint Force remains postured and ready to resume major combat operations at literally a moment's notice. [47:05] This morning, I'd like to give you an update on the ongoing blockade in the CENTCOM AOR area of [47:12] responsibility. On Monday, 13 April at 10 a.m. Eastern Standard Time at the direction of the President, [47:20] America's Joint Force began implementing a blockade against Iran under the leadership of Admiral Cooper [47:27] and the team at CENTCOM. Let me be clear, this blockade applies to all ships, regardless of nationality, [47:37] heading into or from Iranian ports. The U.S. action is a blockade of Iran's ports and coastline, [47:47] not a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Enforcement will occur inside Iran's territorial seas [47:56] and in international waters. In addition to this blockade, the Joint Force, through operations and [48:04] activities in other areas of responsibility, like the Pacific area of responsibility, under the command [48:11] of Admiral Paparo, will actively pursue any Iranian-flagged vessel or any vessel attempting to provide [48:21] material support to Iran. This includes dark fleet vessels carrying Iranian oil. As most of you know, [48:29] dark fleet vessels are those illicit or illegal ships evading international regulations, sanctions, [48:36] or insurance requirements. More than 10,000 sailors, marines, and airmen, over a dozen ships and dozens [48:45] of aircraft are executing this mission. And let me walk you through this operation a little bit. Please [48:51] go to the first slide. First to the graphic. This is taken before the blockade began. North is up. You can see [49:00] the blockade line here in the center of the graphic, denoted by the red dashed line. This map is a pull [49:09] from our common operating picture that we use to allow commanders and key leaders to see what is happening [49:18] in near real time. We just grabbed screen grabs to highlight the actions and activities. What is not [49:25] shown is how incredibly congested this area is and the incredible work that our sailors are doing to ensure [49:34] that they can work in and around an incredibly busy water space. What is also not depicted here is the [49:43] massive force of fighters, intelligence aircraft, helicopters, and other embarked forces to include [49:53] aerial refueling tankers that are up overhead this blockade area. You'll note that the U.S. forces are in [50:01] blue. Iranian ships are in red. And as we started this blockade, there were seven ships of interest [50:12] that were of concern for U.S. Central Command. Through a variety of intelligence tools and with the [50:20] assistance of the Office of Naval Intelligence and other intelligence agencies, the force began to hunt [50:28] for potential interdictors at 10 a.m. Eastern Standard Time. Next slide, please. It's now 1240 Eastern Daylight [50:37] time. Two hours and 40 minutes into the blockade as attempted blockade runners attempt to hop the line. [50:46] U.S. forces began to commit. Out in front of them was a range of intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, [50:54] and tactical assets. And immediately these runners began to see, sense, and feel America's combat power [51:02] compressing upon them. The lead ship, normally a destroyer as depicted here, along with air power off [51:11] of the USS Abraham Lincoln Strike Group, began to move towards those ships. At each point, the United [51:21] States Navy will transmit a warning. A young sailor, normally on the bridge of one of those destroyers, [51:29] a junior officer, picks up that mic and transmits, and I quote, do not attempt to breach the blockade. [51:36] Vessels will be boarded for interdiction and seizure transiting to or from Iranian ports. Turn around or [51:46] prepare to be boarded. If you do not comply with this blockade, we will use force. And as this message is [51:54] being transmitted, as I mentioned earlier, those ship masters can literally see, sense, and feel the [52:01] pressure around them. It's a finely tuned machine, rehearsed multiple times, and executed now 13 times [52:09] since the blockade has begun. Next slide, please. We're now 24 hours plus into the blockade. You can see [52:18] the turning around of multiple ships, 12 of which stayed inside the blockade line, one of which not [52:26] depicted off to the eastern side, turned around before even attempting it. Any ship that would cross [52:33] the blockade would result in our sailors executing pre-planned tactics designed to bring the force to that [52:41] ship, if need be, board the ship and take her over. And that includes a series of escalated force options, which [52:49] could include warning shots and others. Next slide. The final graphic shows taken at 11 20 p.m. the night of 14 April. [53:00] You can see that the captains of all these ships have made the wise decision not to move, transit, or run this blockade. [53:10] As I mentioned, so far 13 ships have made the wise choice of turning around. And as we continue to hold this blockade [53:18] at the order of the Secretary and the President, any vessel that compares to comply with our instructions will be dealt with accordingly. [53:26] As of this morning, U.S. Central Command has not been required to board any particular ships. [53:34] And I'll remind you that we are also conducting similar maritime interdiction actions and activities [53:42] in the Pacific AOR against those ships that left that area before we began the blockade. [53:49] Before I turn it over to Admiral Cooper, I want to talk briefly today about the men and women enforcing the blockade, [53:56] America's sailors and Marines, and today particularly our destroyer and surface forces. [54:02] When we talk about an American destroyer, it's important that you and the American people understand their capabilities. [54:09] An Arleigh Burke-class destroyer are the backbone of the United States Navy surface fleet. [54:15] Over 500 feet long, they displace 9,000 tons, and it is the sports car of the United States Navy. [54:24] From the keel to the mast, they stand nearly 10 stories tall, and their four gas turbine engines can drive the ship at 30-plus knots. [54:34] These ships are armed to the teeth with surface-to-air missiles, land-attack cruise missiles, anti-ship missiles, anti-submarine rockets, [54:44] torpedoes, 5-inch naval guns, multiple electronic warfare systems, embarked helicopters, extending the reach and capability of each and every one of these destroyers. [54:56] But far and away, the most important weapon on board these ships is the American sailor. [55:03] Over 300 warfighters are the heart and soul of these warships. [55:07] At sea, sometimes for months, and these ships out in the CENTCOM AOR have been out there for months, [55:14] they operate around the clock in a constant state of readiness, always delivering for our joint force. [55:21] It's hot in the engine room, the engineering team keeps the lights on and the ship powered and able to respond to the orders from the bridge. [55:31] On that bridge, our sailors maintain a constant watch, maneuvering the ship tactically and safely through always congested water space. [55:41] And there is a lot out there. [55:43] It is like driving a sports car through a supermarket parking lot on a payday weekend with thousands of kids in that parking lot as you attempt to maneuver through there to get to that ship that would attempt to run that blockade. [56:01] And down in the combat information center, the CIC, the tactical warfare center of the ship, that is where the decisions are made. [56:09] As threats appear, these young sailors are making real time decisions on how to identify these threats and handle them. [56:17] And they always deliver. [56:19] These ships are run by the youngest sailors in our surface warfare Navy. [56:25] The helmsman, the sailor on the watch at the bridge is normally just between 18 to 19 years old. [56:34] And they are trusted to drive this warship through that supermarket parking lot without hitting anything. [56:41] The conning officer, an equally young commissioned officer who's normally just a few years out of college, is the ones that are giving that young helmsman the orders on where to take that American warship to execute the mission that the secretary and the president has given us. [57:00] These are incredibly well-trained sailors. [57:04] They are led by incredible leaders, salty, experienced leaders, and trusted with deep responsibility. [57:12] And I'm so humbled and proud of America's Navy. [57:16] These sailors choose to take the road less traveled, to go into the historic surface Navy, and they deliver every single day. [57:25] Finally, as I often do, I want to highlight one of those surface sailors today and remember our fallen. [57:32] Today we remember Ensign Robert Thompson of the U.S. Laffey, who died on this day in 1945 in the Battle of Okinawa. [57:40] He was killed while fighting a fire along with 31 others as two Japanese kamikaze aircraft hit their ship. [57:48] He passed away one week after his 22nd birthday and was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross. [57:55] We remember Ensign Thompson today and all of our World War II vets who continue to give us the gift of a great example. [58:03] And those surface warfare sailors who are out there doing the job right now take the courage, grit, and determination that those World War II vets gave us into these actions and activities that they're tasked to do every single day. [58:19] Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for being here today. [58:22] Last week, the President of the United States directed a ceasefire that temporarily paused major combat operations in Iran. [58:29] The unprecedented effort by America's Joint Force during Operation Epic Fury set the conditions for this ceasefire. [58:36] And as the Secretary said, I'd like to emphasize during this pause that the United States Joint Force remains postured and ready to resume major combat operations at literally a moment's notice. [58:50] This morning, I'd like to give you an update on the ongoing blockade in the CENTCOM AOR area of responsibility. [58:59] On Monday, 13 April, at 10 a.m. Eastern Standard Time, at the direction of the President, America's Joint Force began implementing a blockade against Iran under the leadership of Admiral Cooper and the team at CENTCOM. [59:14] Let me be clear, this blockade applies to all ships, regardless of nationality, heading into or from Iranian ports. [59:27] The U.S. action is a blockade of Iran's ports and coastline, not a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. [59:36] Enforcement will occur inside Iran's territorial seas and in international waters. [59:44] In addition to this blockade, the Joint Force, through operations and activities in other areas of responsibility, like the Pacific area of responsibility, under the command of Admiral Paparo, [59:58] will actively pursue any Iranian-flagged vessel or any vessel attempting to provide material support to Iran. [1:00:09] This includes dark fleet vessels carrying Iranian oil. [1:00:13] As most of you know, dark fleet vessels are those illicit or illegal ships evading international regulations, sanctions or insurance requirements. [1:00:24] More than 10,000 sailors, marines and airmen, over a dozen ships and dozens of aircraft, are executing this mission. [1:00:33] And let me walk you through this operation a little bit. [1:00:36] Please go to the first line. [1:00:38] First to the graphic. [1:00:39] This is taken before the blockade began. [1:00:43] North is up. [1:00:44] You can see the blockade line here in the center of the graphic, denoted by the red dashed line. [1:00:51] This map is a pull from our common operating picture that we use to allow commanders and key leaders to see what is happening in near real time. [1:01:04] We just grabbed screen grabs to highlight the actions and activities. [1:01:09] What is not shown is how incredibly congested this area is and the incredible work that our sailors are doing to ensure that they can work in and around an incredibly busy water space. [1:01:25] What is also not depicted here is the massive force of fighters, intelligence aircraft, helicopters and other embarked forces to include aerial refueling tankers that are up overhead this blockade area. [1:01:43] You'll note that the U.S. forces are in blue, Iranian ships are in red, and as we started this blockade, there were seven ships of interest that were of concern for U.S. Central Command. [1:02:02] Through a variety of intelligence tools and with the assistance of the Office of Naval Intelligence and other intelligence agencies, the force began to hunt for potential interdictors at 10 a.m. Eastern Standard Time. [1:02:18] Next slide, please. [1:02:20] It's now 1240 Eastern Daylight Time, two hours and 40 minutes into the blockade as attempted blockade runners attempt to hop the line. [1:02:31] U.S. forces began to commit out in front of them was a range of intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and tactical assets. [1:02:41] And immediately these runners began to see, sense and feel America's combat power compressing upon them. [1:02:51] The lead ship, normally a destroyer, as depicted here, along with air power off of the USS Abraham Lincoln Strike Group, began to move towards those ships. [1:03:04] At each point, the United States Navy will transmit a warning. [1:03:10] A young sailor, normally on the bridge of one of those destroyers, a junior officer, picks up that mic and transmits, and I quote, [1:03:18] Do not attempt to breach the blockade. [1:03:21] Vessels will be boarded for interdiction and seizure transiting to or from Iranian ports. [1:03:29] Turn around or prepare to be boarded. [1:03:34] If you do not comply with this blockade, we will use force. [1:03:39] And as this message is being transmitted, as I mentioned earlier, those ship masters can literally see, sense and feel the pressure around them. [1:03:48] It's a finely tuned machine rehearsed multiple times and executed now 13 times since the blockade has begun. [1:03:58] Next slide, please. [1:04:00] We're now 24 hours plus into the blockade. [1:04:03] You can see the turning around of multiple ships, 12 of which stayed inside the blockade line, [1:04:10] one of which not depicted off to the eastern side, turned around before even attempting it. [1:04:16] Any ship that would cross the blockade would result in our sailors executing pre-planned tactics designed to bring the force to that ship, [1:04:27] if need be, board the ship and take her over. [1:04:30] And that includes a series of escalated force options, which could include warning shots and others. [1:04:38] Next slide. [1:04:40] The final graphic shows taken at 11.20 p.m. the night of 14 April. [1:04:46] You can see that the captains of all these ships have made the wise decision not to move, transit, or run this blockade. [1:04:56] As I mentioned, so far 13 ships have made the wise choice of turning around. [1:05:01] And as we continue to hold this blockade at the order of the Secretary and the President, [1:05:06] any vessel that compares to comply with our instructions will be dealt with accordingly. [1:05:11] As of this morning, U.S. Central Command has not been required to board any particular ships. [1:05:19] And I'll remind you that we are also conducting similar maritime interdiction actions and activities in the Pacific AOR against those ships that left that area before we began the blockade. [1:05:34] Before I turn it over to Admiral Cooper, I want to talk briefly today about the men and women enforcing the blockade. [1:05:42] America's sailors and Marines, and today particularly our destroyer and surface forces. [1:05:48] When we talk about an American destroyer, it's important that you and the American people understand their capabilities. [1:05:55] An Arleigh Burke-class destroyer are the backbone of the United States Navy surface fleet. [1:06:01] Over 500 feet long, they displace 9,000 tons, and it is the sports car of the United States Navy. [1:06:11] From the keel to the mast, they stand nearly 10 stories tall, and their four gas turbine engines can drive the ship at 30-plus knots. [1:06:21] These ships are armed to the teeth with surface-to-air missiles, land-attack cruise missiles, anti-ship missiles, anti-submarine rockets, torpedoes, 5-inch naval guns, [1:06:33] multiple electronic warfare systems, embarked helicopters, extending the reach and capability of each and every one of these destroyers. [1:06:43] But far and away, the most important weapon on board these ships is the American sailor. [1:06:50] Over 300 warfighters are the heart and soul of these warships. [1:06:54] At sea, sometimes for months, and these ships out in the CENTCOM AOR have been out there for months, [1:07:01] they operate around the clock in a constant state of readiness, always delivering for our joint force. [1:07:08] It's hot in the engine room. [1:07:10] The engineering team keeps the lights on and the ship powered and able to respond to the orders from the bridge. [1:07:17] On that bridge, our sailors maintain a constant watch, maneuvering the ship tactically and safely through always congested water space. [1:07:28] And there is a lot out there. [1:07:30] It is like driving a sports car through a supermarket parking lot on a payday weekend with thousands of kids in that parking lot as you attempt to maneuver through there to get to that ship that would attempt to run that blockade. [1:07:45] Down in the combat information center, the CIC, the tactical warfare center of the ship, that is where the decisions are made. [1:07:55] As threats appear, these young sailors are making real time decisions on how to identify these threats and handle them. [1:08:03] And they always deliver. [1:08:05] These ships are run by the youngest sailors in our surface warfare Navy. [1:08:11] The helmsman, the sailor on the watch at the bridge, is normally just between 18 to 19 years old. [1:08:20] And they are trusted to drive this warship through that supermarket parking lot without hitting anything. [1:08:27] The conning officer, an equally young commissioned officer who's normally just a few years out of college, [1:08:34] is the ones that are giving that young helmsman the orders on where to take that American warship to execute the mission that the secretary and the president has given us. [1:08:46] These are incredibly well-trained sailors. [1:08:50] They are led by incredible leaders, salty, experienced leaders, and trusted with deep responsibility. [1:08:58] And I'm so humbled and proud of America's Navy. [1:09:01] These sailors choose to take the road less traveled, to go into the historic surface Navy, and they deliver every single day. [1:09:11] Finally, as I often do, I want to highlight one of those surface sailors today and remember our fallen. [1:09:17] Today, we remember Ensign Robert Thompson of the U.S. Laffey, who died on this day in 1945 in the Battle of Okinawa. [1:09:25] He was killed while fighting a fire along with 31 others as two Japanese kamikaze aircraft hit their ship. [1:09:34] He passed away one week after his 22nd birthday and was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross. [1:09:41] We remember Ensign Thompson today and all of our World War II vets who continue to give us the gift of a great example. [1:09:48] And those surface warfare sailors who are out there doing the job right now take the courage, grit, and determination that those World War II vets gave us into these actions and activities that they're tasked to do every single day. [1:10:04] Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for being here today. [1:10:07] Last week, the President of the United States directed a ceasefire that temporarily paused major combat operations in Iran. [1:10:14] The unprecedented effort by America's Joint Force during Operation Epic Fury set the conditions for this ceasefire. [1:10:22] And as the Secretary said, I'd like to emphasize during this pause that the United States Joint Force remains postured and ready to resume major combat operations at literally a moment's notice. [1:10:35] This morning, I'd like to give you an update on the ongoing blockade in the CENTCOM AOR area of responsibility. [1:10:44] On Monday, 13 April at 10 a.m. Eastern Standard Time, at the direction of the President, America's Joint Force began implementing a blockade against Iran under the leadership of Admiral Cooper and the team at CENTCOM. [1:10:59] Let me be clear, this blockade applies to all ships, regardless of nationality, heading into or from Iranian ports. [1:11:13] The U.S. action is a blockade of Iran's ports and coastline, not a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. [1:11:21] Enforcement will occur inside Iran's territorial seas and in international waters. [1:11:30] In addition to this blockade, the Joint Force, through operations and activities in other areas of responsibility, like the Pacific area of responsibility, under the command of Admiral Paparo, [1:11:44] will actively pursue any Iranian flagged vessel or any vessel attempting to provide material support to Iran. [1:11:55] This includes dark fleet vessels carrying Iranian oil. [1:11:59] As most of you know, dark fleet vessels are those illicit or illegal ships evading international regulations, sanctions or insurance requirements. [1:12:09] More than 10,000 sailors, marines and airmen over a dozen ships and dozens of aircraft are executing this mission. [1:12:18] And let me walk you through this operation a little bit. [1:12:21] Please go to the first line. [1:12:23] First to the graphic. [1:12:25] This is taken before the blockade began. [1:12:29] North is up. [1:12:30] You can see the blockade line here in the center of the graphic, denoted by the red dashed line. [1:12:37] This map is a pull from our common operating picture that we use to allow commanders and key leaders to see what is happening in near real time. [1:12:50] We just grabbed screen grabs to highlight the actions and activities. [1:12:55] What is not shown is how incredibly congested this area is and the incredible work that our sailors are doing to ensure that they can work in and around an incredibly busy water space. [1:13:11] What is also not depicted here is the massive, massive force of fighters, intelligence aircraft, helicopters and other embarked forces to include aerial refueling tankers that are up overhead this blockade area. [1:13:28] You'll note that U.S. forces are in blue, Iranian ships are in red, and as we started this blockade, there were seven ships of interest that were of concern for U.S. Central Command. [1:13:47] Through a variety of intelligence tools and with the assistance of the Office of Naval Intelligence and other intelligence agencies, the force began to hunt for potential interdictors at 10 a.m. Eastern Standard Time. [1:14:04] Next slide, please. [1:14:05] It's now 1240 Eastern Daylight Time, two hours and 40 minutes into the blockade as attempted blockade runners attempt to hop the line. [1:14:17] U.S. forces began to commit. [1:14:20] Out in front of them was a range of intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and tactical assets. [1:14:26] And immediately these runners began to see, sense and feel America's combat power compressing upon them. [1:14:36] The lead ship, normally a destroyer as depicted here, along with air power off of the USS Abraham Lincoln Strike Group, began to move towards those ships. [1:14:49] At each point, the United States Navy will transmit a warning. [1:14:56] A young sailor, normally on the bridge of one of those destroyers, a junior officer, picks up that mic and transmits, and I quote, [1:15:04] Do not attempt to breach the blockade. [1:15:07] Vessels will be boarded for interdiction and seizure, transiting to or from Iranian ports. [1:15:15] Turn around or prepare to be boarded. [1:15:19] If you do not comply with this blockade, we will use force. [1:15:24] And as this message is being transmitted, as I mentioned earlier, those ship masters can literally see, sense and feel the pressure around them. [1:15:34] It's a finely tuned machine, rehearsed multiple times, and executed now 13 times since the blockade has begun. [1:15:44] Next slide, please. [1:15:45] We're now 24 hours plus into the blockade. [1:15:48] You can see the turning around of multiple ships, 12 of which stayed inside the blockade line, one of which not depicted off to the eastern side, turned around before even attempting it. [1:16:02] Any ship that would cross the blockade would result in our sailors executing pre-planned tactics designed to bring the force to that ship, if need be, board the ship and take her over. [1:16:16] And that includes a series of escalated force options, which could include warning shots and others. [1:16:23] Next slide. [1:16:24] The final graphic shows taken at 11.20 p.m. the night of 14 April. [1:16:31] You can see that the captains of all these ships have made the wise decision not to move, transit, or run this blockade. [1:16:41] As I mentioned, so far 13 ships have made the wise choice of turning around. [1:16:46] And as we continue to hold this blockade at the order of the Secretary and the President, any vessel that compares to comply with our instructions will be dealt with accordingly. [1:16:57] As of this morning, U.S. Central Command has not been required to board any particular ships. [1:17:05] And I'll remind you that we are also conducting similar maritime interdiction actions and activities in the Pacific AOR against those ships that left that area before we began the blockade. [1:17:20] Before I turn it over to Admiral Cooper, I want to talk briefly today about the men and women enforcing the blockade. [1:17:28] America's sailors and Marines, and today particularly our destroyer and surface forces. [1:17:34] When we talk about an American destroyer, it's important that you and the American people understand their capabilities. [1:17:41] An Arleigh Burke class destroyer are the backbone of the United States Navy surface fleet. [1:17:47] Over 500 feet long, they displace 9,000 tons, and it is the sports car of the United States Navy. [1:17:56] From the keel to the mast, they stand nearly 10 stories tall, and their four gas turbine engines can drive the ship at 30-plus knots. [1:18:06] These ships are armed to the teeth with surface-to-air missiles, land-attack cruise missiles, anti-ship missiles, anti-submarine rockets, torpedoes, 5-inch naval guns, multiple electronic warfare systems, embarked helicopters, extending the reach and capability of each and every one of these destroyers. [1:18:28] But far and away, the most important weapon on board these ships is the American sailor. [1:18:35] Over 300 warfighters are the heart and soul of these warships. [1:18:39] At sea, sometimes for months, and these ships out in the CENTCOM AOR have been out there for months, they operate around the clock in a constant state of readiness, always delivering for our joint force. [1:18:53] It's hot in the engine room, the engineering team keeps the lights on and the ship powered and able to respond to the orders from the bridge. [1:19:02] On that bridge, our sailors maintain a constant watch, maneuvering the ship tactically and safely through always congested water space. [1:19:13] And there is a lot out there. [1:19:15] It is like driving a sports car through a supermarket parking lot on a payday weekend with thousands of kids in that parking lot as you attempt to maneuver through there to get to that ship that would attempt to run that blockade. [1:19:32] And down in the combat information center, the CIC, the tactical warfare center of the ship, that is where the decisions are made. [1:19:41] As threats appear, these young sailors are making real-time decisions on how to identify these threats and handle them, and they always deliver. [1:19:51] These ships are run by the youngest sailors in our surface warfare navy. [1:19:57] The helmsman, the sailor on the watch at the bridge, is normally just between 18 to 19 years old, and they are trusted to drive this warship through that supermarket parking lot without hitting anything. [1:20:13] The conning officer, an equally young commissioned officer, who's normally just a few years out of college, is the ones that are giving that young helmsman the orders on where to take that American warship to execute the mission that the secretary and the president has given us. [1:20:32] These are incredibly well-trained sailors. [1:20:36] They are led by incredible leaders, salty, experienced leaders, and trusted with deep responsibility. [1:20:43] And I'm so humbled and proud of America's navy. [1:20:47] These sailors choose to take the road less traveled to go into the historic surface navy, and they deliver every single day. [1:20:57] Finally, as I often do, I want to highlight one of those surface sailors today and remember our fallen. [1:21:03] Today, we remember Ensign Robert Thompson of the U.S. Laffey, who died on this day in 1945 in the Battle of Okinawa. [1:21:11] He was killed while fighting a fire along with 31 others as two Japanese kamikaze aircraft hit their ship. [1:21:19] He passed away one week after his 22nd birthday and was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross. [1:21:26] We remember Ensign Thompson today and all of our World War II vets who continue to give us the gift of a great example. [1:21:34] And those surface warfare sailors who are out there doing the job right now take the courage, grit, and determination that those World War II vets gave us into these actions and activities that they're tasked to do every single day. [1:21:50] Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for being here today. [1:21:53] Last week, the President of the United States directed a ceasefire that temporarily paused major combat operations in Iran. [1:22:00] The unprecedented effort by America's joint force during Operation Epic Fury set the conditions for this ceasefire. [1:22:07] And as the Secretary said, I'd like to emphasize during this pause that the United States Joint Force remains postured and ready to resume major combat operations at literally a moment's notice. [1:22:21] This morning, I'd like to give you an update on the ongoing blockade in the CENTCOM AOR area of responsibility. [1:22:29] On Monday, 13 April, at 10 a.m. Eastern Standard Time, at the direction of the President, America's Joint Force began implementing a blockade against Iran under the leadership of Admiral Cooper and the team at CENTCOM. [1:22:46] Let me be clear, this blockade applies to all ships, regardless of nationality, heading into or from Iranian ports. [1:22:58] The U.S. action is a blockade of Iran's ports and coastline, not a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. [1:23:07] Enforcement will occur inside Iran's territorial seas and in international waters. [1:23:15] In addition to this blockade, the Joint Force, through operations and activities in other areas of responsibility, like the Pacific area of responsibility, under the command of Admiral Paparo, will actively pursue any Iranian-flagged vessel or any vessel attempting to provide material support to Iran. [1:23:40] This includes dark fleet vessels carrying Iranian oil. [1:23:44] As most of you know, dark fleet vessels are those illicit or illegal ships evading international regulations, sanctions, or insurance requirements. [1:23:54] More than 10,000 sailors, marines, and airmen, over a dozen ships and dozens of aircraft, are executing this mission. [1:24:04] And let me walk you through this operation a little bit. [1:24:07] Please go to the first slide. [1:24:10] First to the graphic. [1:24:11] This is taken before the blockade began. [1:24:15] North is up. [1:24:16] You can see the blockade line here in the center of the graphic, denoted by the red dashed line. [1:24:23] This map is a pull from our common operating picture that we use to allow commanders and key leaders to see what is happening in near real time. [1:24:36] We just grabbed screen grabs to highlight the actions and activities. [1:24:41] What is not shown is how incredibly congested this area is and the incredible work that our sailors are doing to ensure that they can work in and around an incredibly busy water space. [1:24:57] What is also not depicted here is the massive force of fighters, intelligence aircraft, helicopters, and other embarked forces to include aerial refueling tankers that are up overhead this blockade area. [1:25:14] You'll note that the U.S. forces are in blue, Iranian ships are in red, and as we started this blockade, there were seven ships of interest that were of concern for U.S. Central Command. [1:25:32] Through a variety of intelligence tools and with the assistance of the Office of Naval Intelligence and other intelligence agencies, the force began to hunt for potential interdictors at 10 a.m. Eastern Standard Time. [1:25:50] Next slide, please. [1:25:51] It's now 12.40 Eastern Daylight Time, two hours and 40 minutes into the blockade as attempted blockade runners attempt to hop the line. [1:26:02] U.S. forces began to commit. [1:26:05] Out in front of them was a range of intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and tactical assets, and immediately these runners began to see, sense, and feel America's combat power compressing upon them. [1:26:21] The lead ship, normally a destroyer, as depicted here, along with air power off of the USS Abraham Lincoln Strike Group, began to move towards those ships. [1:26:34] At each point, the United States Navy will transmit a warning. [1:26:42] A young sailor, normally on the bridge of one of those destroyers, a junior officer, picks up that mic and transmits, and I quote, [1:26:50] Do not attempt to breach the blockade. [1:26:53] Vessels will be boarded for interdiction and seizure transiting to or from Iranian ports. [1:27:01] Turn around or prepare to be boarded. [1:27:05] If you do not comply with this blockade, we will use force. [1:27:10] And as this message is being transmitted, as I mentioned earlier, those ship masters can literally see, sense, and feel the pressure around them. [1:27:19] It's a finely tuned machine rehearsed multiple times and executed now 13 times since the blockade has begun. [1:27:29] Next slide, please. [1:27:30] Next slide, please. [1:27:31] We're now 24 hours plus into the blockade. [1:27:34] You can see the turning around of multiple ships, 12 of which stayed inside the blockade line, [1:27:41] one of which not depicted off to the eastern side turned around before even attempting it. [1:27:47] Any ship that would cross the blockade would result in our sailors executing pre-planned tactics designed to bring the force to that ship, [1:27:58] if need be, board the ship and take her over. [1:28:01] And that includes a series of escalated force options, which could include warning shots and others. [1:28:08] Next slide. [1:28:09] The final graphic shows taken at 11.20 p.m. the night of 14 April. [1:28:16] You can see that the captains of all these ships have made the wise decision not to move, transit, or run this blockade. [1:28:26] As I mentioned, so far 13 ships have made the wise choice of turning around. [1:28:32] And as we continue to hold this blockade at the order of the Secretary and the President, [1:28:37] any vessel that compares to comply with our instructions will be dealt with accordingly. [1:28:42] As of this morning, U.S. Central Command has not been required to board any particular ships. [1:28:50] And I'll remind you that we are also conducting similar maritime interdiction actions and activities in the Pacific AOR against those ships that left that area before we began the blockade. [1:29:05] Before I turn it over to Admiral Cooper, I want to talk briefly today about the men and women enforcing the blockade. [1:29:13] America's sailors and Marines, and today particularly our destroyer and surface forces. [1:29:19] When we talk about an American destroyer, it's important that you and the American people understand their capabilities. [1:29:26] An Arleigh Burke-class destroyer are the backbone of the United States Navy surface fleet. [1:29:32] Over 500 feet long, they displace 9,000 tons, and it is the sports car of the United States Navy. [1:29:42] From the keel to the mast, they stand nearly 10 stories tall, and their four gas turbine engines can drive the ship at 30-plus knots. [1:29:52] These ships are armed to the teeth with surface-to-air missiles, land-attack cruise missiles, anti-ship missiles, anti-submarine rockets, torpedoes, 5-inch naval guns, multiple electronic warfare systems, embarked helicopters, extending the reach and capability of each and every one of these destroyers. [1:30:14] But far and away, the most important weapon on board these ships is the American sailor. [1:30:21] Over 300 warfighters are the heart and soul of these warships. [1:30:25] At sea, sometimes for months, and these ships out in the CENTCOM AOR have been out there for months, [1:30:32] they operate around the clock in a constant state of readiness, always delivering for our joint force. [1:30:39] It's hot in the engine room. The engineering team keeps the lights on and the ship powered and able to respond to the orders from the bridge. [1:30:48] On that bridge, our sailors maintain a constant watch, maneuvering the ship tactically and safely through always congested water space. [1:30:59] And there is a lot out there. It is like driving a sports car through a supermarket parking lot on a payday weekend with thousands of kids in that parking lot as you attempt to maneuver through there to get to that ship that would attempt to run that blockade. [1:31:18] And down in the combat information center, the CIC, the tactical warfare center of the ship, that is where the decisions are made. [1:31:26] As threats appear, these young sailors are making real-time decisions on how to identify these threats and handle them. [1:31:34] And they always deliver. [1:31:36] These ships are run by the youngest sailors in our surface warfare navy. [1:31:42] The helmsman, the sailor on the watch at the bridge, is normally just between 18 to 19 years old. [1:31:51] And they are trusted to drive this warship through that supermarket parking lot without hitting anything. [1:31:58] The conning officer, an equally young commissioned officer, who's normally just a few years out of college, is the ones that are giving that young helmsman the orders on where to take that American warship to execute the mission that the secretary and the president has given us. [1:32:17] These are incredibly well-trained sailors. [1:32:21] They are led by incredible leaders, salty, experienced leaders, and trusted with deep responsibility. [1:32:29] And I'm so humbled and proud of America's navy. [1:32:33] These sailors choose to take the road less traveled to go into the historic surface navy, and they deliver every single day. [1:32:42] Finally, as I often do, I want to highlight one of those surface sailors today and remember our fallen. [1:32:49] Today, we remember Ensign Robert Thompson of the U.S. Laffey, who died on this day in 1945 in the Battle of Okinawa. [1:32:57] He was killed while fighting a fire along with 31 others as two Japanese kamikaze aircraft hit their ship. [1:33:05] He passed away one week after his 22nd birthday and was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross. [1:33:12] We remember Ensign Thompson today and all of our World War II vets who continue to give us the gift of a great example. [1:33:20] And those surface warfare sailors who are out there doing the job right now take the courage, grit, and determination that those World War II vets gave us into these actions and activities that they're tasked to do every single day. [1:33:36] Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for being here today. [1:33:39] Last week, the President of the United States directed a ceasefire that temporarily paused major combat operations in Iran. [1:33:46] The unprecedented effort by America's joint force during Operation Epic Fury set the conditions for this ceasefire. [1:33:53] And as the Secretary said, I'd like to emphasize during this pause that the United States joint force remains postured and ready to resume major combat operations at literally a moment's notice. [1:34:06] This morning, I'd like to give you an update on the ongoing blockade in the CENTCOM AOR area of responsibility. [1:34:15] On Monday, 13 April, at 10 a.m. Eastern Standard Time, at the direction of the President, America's joint force began implementing a blockade against Iran under the leadership of Admiral Cooper and the team at CENTCOM. [1:34:31] Let me be clear, this blockade applies to all ships, regardless of nationality, heading into or from Iranian ports. [1:34:44] The U.S. action is a blockade of Iran's ports and coastline, not a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. [1:34:53] Enforcement will occur inside Iran's territorial seas and in international waters. [1:35:01] In addition to this blockade, the joint force, through operations and activities in other areas of responsibility, like the Pacific area of responsibility, under the command of Admiral Paparo, [1:35:15] will actively pursue any Iranian-flagged vessel or any vessel attempting to provide material support to Iran. [1:35:26] This includes dark fleet vessels carrying Iranian oil. [1:35:30] As most of you know, dark fleet vessels are those illicit or illegal ships evading international regulations, sanctions or insurance requirements. [1:35:41] More than 10,000 sailors, marines and airmen, over a dozen ships and dozens of aircraft, are executing this mission. [1:35:50] And let me walk you through this operation a little bit. [1:35:53] Please go to the first slide. [1:35:55] First to the graphic. [1:35:57] This is taken before the blockade began. [1:36:01] North is up. [1:36:02] You can see the blockade line here in the center of the graphic, denoted by the red dashed line. [1:36:09] This map is a pull from our common operating picture that we use to allow commanders and key leaders to see what is happening in near real time. [1:36:22] We just grabbed screen grabs to highlight the actions and activities. [1:36:26] What is not shown is how incredibly congested this area is and the incredible work that our sailors are doing to ensure that they can work in and around an incredibly busy water space. [1:36:43] What is also not depicted here is the massive force of fighters, intelligence aircraft, helicopters and other embarked forces to include aerial refueling tankers that are up overhead this blockade area. [1:37:00] You'll note that the U.S. forces are in blue, Iranian ships are in red, and as we started this blockade, there were seven ships of interest that were of concern for U.S. Central Command. [1:37:18] Through a variety of intelligence tools and with the assistance of the Office of Naval Intelligence and other intelligence agencies, the force began to hunt for potential interdictors at 10 a.m. Eastern Standard Time. [1:37:35] Next slide, please. [1:37:36] It's now 1240 Eastern Daylight Time, two hours and 40 minutes into the blockade as attempted blockade runners attempt to hop the line. [1:37:47] U.S. forces began to commit out in front of them was a range of intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and tactical assets. [1:37:57] And immediately these runners began to see, sense and feel America's combat power compressing upon them. [1:38:07] The lead ship, normally a destroyer, as depicted here, along with air power off of the USS Abraham Lincoln Strike Group, began to move towards those ships. [1:38:20] At each point, the United States Navy will transmit a warning. [1:38:27] A young sailor, normally on the bridge of one of those destroyers, a junior officer, picks up that mic and transmits, and I quote, [1:38:35] Do not attempt to breach the blockade. [1:38:38] Vessels will be boarded for interdiction and seizure transiting to or from Iranian ports. [1:38:46] Turn around or prepare to be boarded. [1:38:50] If you do not comply with this blockade, we will use force. [1:38:55] And as this message is being transmitted, as I mentioned earlier, those ship masters can literally see, sense and feel the pressure around them. [1:39:04] It's a finely tuned machine rehearsed multiple times and executed now 13 times since the blockade has begun. [1:39:14] Next slide, please. [1:39:15] Next slide, please. [1:39:17] We're now 24 hours plus into the blockade. [1:39:20] You can see the turning around of multiple ships, 12 of which stayed inside the blockade line, one of which not depicted off to the eastern side, turned around before even attempting it. [1:39:34] Any ship that would cross the blockade would result in our sailors executing pre-planned tactics designed to bring the force to that ship. [1:39:44] If need be, board the ship and take her over. [1:39:48] And that includes a series of escalated force options, which could include warning shots and others. [1:39:55] Next slide. [1:39:56] The final graphic shows taken at 11.20 p.m. the night of 14 April. [1:40:02] You can see that the captains of all these ships have made the wise decision not to move, transit, or run this blockade. [1:40:12] As I mentioned, so far 13 ships have made the wise choice of turning around. [1:40:18] And as we continue to hold this blockade at the order of the Secretary and the President, any vessel that compares to comply with our instructions will be dealt with accordingly. [1:40:28] As of this morning, U.S. Central Command has not been required to board any particular ships. [1:40:36] And I'll remind you that we are also conducting similar maritime interdiction actions and activities in the Pacific AOR against those ships that left that area before we began the blockade. [1:40:52] Before I turn it over to Admiral Cooper, I want to talk briefly today about the men and women enforcing the blockade, America's sailors and Marines, and today particularly our destroyer and surface forces. [1:41:05] When we talk about an American destroyer, it's important that you and the American people understand their capabilities. [1:41:12] An Arleigh Burke-class destroyer are the backbone of the United States Navy surface fleet. [1:41:18] Over 500 feet long, they displace 9,000 tons, and it is the sports car of the United States Navy. [1:41:27] From the keel to the mast, they stand nearly 10 stories tall, and their four gas turbine engines can drive the ship at 30-plus knots. [1:41:37] These ships are armed to the teeth with surface-tear missiles, land-attack cruise missiles, anti-ship missiles, anti-submarine rockets, [1:41:47] torpedoes, 5-inch naval guns, multiple electronic warfare systems, embarked helicopters, extending the reach and capability of each and every one of these destroyers. [1:41:59] But far and away, the most important weapon on board these ships is the American sailor. [1:42:06] Over 300 warfighters are the heart and soul of these warships. [1:42:10] At sea, sometimes for months, and these ships out in the CENTCOM AOR have been out there for months, [1:42:17] they operate around the clock in a constant state of readiness, always delivering for our joint force. [1:42:24] It's hot in the engine room. [1:42:26] The engineering team keeps the lights on and the ship powered and able to respond to the orders from the bridge. [1:42:33] On that bridge, our sailors maintain a constant watch, maneuvering the ship tactically [1:42:39] and safely through always congested water space. [1:42:44] And there is a lot out there. [1:42:46] It is like driving a sports car through a supermarket parking lot on a payday weekend with thousands of kids in that parking lot [1:42:55] as you attempt to maneuver through there to get to that ship that would attempt to run that blockade. [1:43:02] Down in the combat information center, the CIC, the tactical warfare center of the ship, that is where the decisions are made. [1:43:11] As threats appear, these young sailors are making real-time decisions on how to identify these threats and handle them. [1:43:19] And they always deliver. [1:43:21] These ships are run by the youngest sailors in our surface warfare navy. [1:43:28] The helmsman, the sailor on the watch at the bridge, is normally just between 18 to 19 years old. [1:43:36] And they are trusted to drive this warship through that supermarket parking lot without hitting anything. [1:43:43] The conning officer, an equally young commissioned officer, who's normally just a few years out of college, [1:43:50] is the ones that are giving that young helmsman the orders on where to take that American warship [1:43:57] to execute the mission that the secretary and the president has given us. [1:44:02] These are incredibly well-trained sailors. [1:44:07] They are led by incredible leaders, salty, experienced leaders, and trusted with deep responsibility. [1:44:15] And I'm so humbled and proud of America's navy. [1:44:19] These sailors choose to take the road less traveled, to go into the historic surface navy, and they deliver every single day. [1:44:28] Finally, as I often do, I want to highlight one of those surface sailors today and remember our fallen. [1:44:35] Today we remember Ensign Robert Thompson of the U.S. Laffey, who died on this day in 1945 in the Battle of Okinawa. [1:44:43] He was killed while fighting a fire along with 31 others as two Japanese kamikaze aircraft hit their ship. [1:44:51] He passed away one week after his 22nd birthday and was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross. [1:44:58] We remember Ensign Thompson today and all of our World War II vets [1:45:02] who continue to give us the gift of a great example. [1:45:05] And those surface warfare sailors who are out there doing the job right now [1:45:11] take the courage, grit, and determination that those World War II vets gave us [1:45:16] into these actions and activities that they're tasked to do every single day. [1:45:21] Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for being here today. [1:45:24] Last week, the President of the United States directed a ceasefire that temporarily paused major combat operations in Iran. [1:45:31] The unprecedented effort by America's Joint Force during Operation Epic Fury set the conditions for this ceasefire. [1:45:39] And as the Secretary said, I'd like to emphasize during this pause that the United States Joint Force remains postured and ready to resume major combat operations at literally a moment's notice. [1:45:52] This morning, I'd like to give you an update on the ongoing blockade in the CENTCOM AOR area of responsibility. [1:46:02] On Monday, 13 April, at 10 a.m. Eastern Standard Time, at the direction of the President, [1:46:08] America's Joint Force began implementing a blockade against Iran under the leadership of Admiral Cooper and the team at CENTCOM. [1:46:17] Let me be clear. This blockade applies to all ships, regardless of nationality, heading into or from Iranian ports. [1:46:30] The U.S. action is a blockade of Iran's ports and coastline, not a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. [1:46:38] Enforcement will occur inside Iran's territorial seas and in international waters. [1:46:47] In addition to this blockade, the Joint Force, through operations and activities in other areas of responsibility, [1:46:55] like the Pacific area of responsibility, under the command of Admiral Paparo, will actively pursue any Iranian-flagged vessel or any vessel attempting to provide material support to Iran. [1:47:12] This includes dark fleet vessels carrying Iranian oil. As most of you know, dark fleet vessels are those illicit or illegal ships evading international regulations, sanctions, or insurance requirements. [1:47:27] More than 10,000 sailors, marines, and airmen, over a dozen ships and dozens of aircraft, are executing this mission. [1:47:36] And let me walk you through this operation a little bit. Please go to the first slide. [1:47:40] First to the graphic. This is taken before the blockade began. North is up. [1:47:47] You can see the blockade line here in the center of the graphic, denoted by the red dashed line. [1:47:54] This map is a pull from our common operating picture that we use to allow commanders and key leaders to see what is happening in near real time. [1:48:07] We just grabbed screen grabs to highlight the actions and activities. [1:48:12] What is not shown is how incredibly congested this area is and the incredible work that our sailors are doing to ensure that they can work in and around an incredibly busy water space. [1:48:28] What is also not depicted here is the massive force of fighters, intelligence aircraft, helicopters, and other embarked forces to include aerial refueling tankers that are up overhead this blockade area. [1:48:45] You'll note that U.S. forces are in blue, Iranian ships are in red, and as we started this blockade, there were seven ships of interest that were of concern for U.S. Central Command. [1:49:04] Through a variety of intelligence tools and with the assistance of the Office of Naval Intelligence and other intelligence agencies, [1:49:13] the force began to hunt for potential interdictors at 10 a.m. Eastern Standard Time. [1:49:20] Next slide, please. [1:49:22] It's now 1240 Eastern Daylight Time, two hours and 40 minutes into the blockade as attempted blockade runners attempt to hop the line. [1:49:33] U.S. forces began to commit. [1:49:36] Out in front of them was a range of intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and tactical assets. [1:49:43] And immediately these runners began to see, sense, and feel America's combat power compressing upon them. [1:49:53] The lead ship, normally a destroyer, as depicted here, along with air power off of the USS Abraham Lincoln Strike Group, began to move towards those ships. [1:50:06] At each point, the United States Navy will transmit a warning. [1:50:13] A young sailor, normally on the bridge of one of those destroyers, a junior officer, picks up that mic and transmits, and I quote, [1:50:21] do not attempt to breach the blockade. [1:50:24] Vessels will be boarded for interdiction and seizure transiting to or from Iranian ports. [1:50:32] Turn around or prepare to be boarded. [1:50:36] If you do not comply with this blockade, we will use force. [1:50:41] And as this message is being transmitted, as I mentioned earlier, those ship masters can literally see, sense, and feel the pressure around them. [1:50:50] It's a finely tuned machine, rehearsed multiple times, and executed now 13 times since the blockade has begun. [1:51:00] Next slide, please. [1:51:02] We're now 24 hours plus into the blockade. [1:51:05] You can see the turning around of multiple ships, 12 of which stayed inside the blockade line, one of which not depicted off to the eastern side, turned around before even attempting it. [1:51:19] Any ship that would cross the blockade would result in our sailors executing pre-planned tactics designed to bring the force to that ship. [1:51:29] If need be, board the ship and take her over, and that includes a series of escalated force options, which could include warning shots and others. [1:51:40] Next slide. [1:51:42] The final graphic shows taken at 11.20 p.m. the night of 14 April. [1:51:48] You can see that the captains of all these ships have made the wise decision not to move, transit, or run this blockade. [1:51:58] As I mentioned so far, 13 ships have made the wise choice of turning around. [1:52:03] And as we continue to hold this blockade at the order of the Secretary and the President, any vessel that compares to comply with our instructions will be dealt with accordingly. [1:52:14] As of this morning, U.S. Central Command has not been required to board any particular ships. [1:52:22] And I'll remind you that we are also conducting similar maritime interdiction actions and activities in the Pacific AOR against those ships that left that area before we began the blockade. [1:52:38] Before I turn it over to Admiral Cooper, I want to talk briefly today about the men and women enforcing the blockade, America's sailors and Marines, and today particularly our destroyer and surface forces. [1:52:51] When we talk about an American destroyer, it's important that you and the American people understand their capabilities. [1:52:58] An Arleigh Burke-class destroyer are the backbone of the United States Navy surface fleet. [1:53:04] Over 500 feet long, they displace 9,000 tons, and it is the sports car of the United States Navy. [1:53:13] From the keel to the mast, they stand nearly 10 stories tall, and their four gas turbine engines can drive the ship at 30-plus knots. [1:53:23] These ships are armed to the teeth with surface-to-air missiles, land-attack cruise missiles, anti-ship missiles, anti-submarine rockets, torpedoes, 5-inch naval guns, multiple electronic warfare systems, embarked helicopters, extending the reach and capability of each and every one of these destroyers. [1:53:45] But far and away, the most important weapon on board these ships is the American sailor. [1:53:52] Over 300 warfighters are the heart and soul of these warships. [1:53:56] At sea, sometimes for months, and these ships out in the CENTCOM AOR have been out there for months, they operate around the clock in a constant state of readiness, always delivering for our joint force. [1:54:10] It's hot in the engine room, the engineering team keeps the lights on and the ship powered and able to respond to the orders from the bridge. [1:54:20] On that bridge, our sailors maintain a constant watch, maneuvering the ship tactically and safely through always congested water space. [1:54:30] And there is a lot out there. [1:54:32] It is like driving a sports car through a supermarket parking lot on a payday weekend with thousands of kids in that parking lot as you attempt to maneuver through there to get to that ship that would attempt to run that blockade. [1:54:49] And down in the combat information center, the CIC, the tactical warfare center of the ship, that is where the decisions are made. [1:54:57] As threats appear, these young sailors are making real time decisions on how to identify these threats and handle them. [1:55:05] And they always deliver. [1:55:07] These ships are run by the youngest sailors in our surface warfare Navy. [1:55:14] The helmsman, the sailor on the watch at the bridge, is normally just between 18 to 19 years old. [1:55:23] And they are trusted to drive this warship through that supermarket parking lot without hitting anything. [1:55:29] The conning officer, an equally young commissioned officer, who's normally just a few years out of college, is the ones that are giving that young helmsman the orders on where to take that American warship to execute the mission that the secretary and the president has given us. [1:55:48] These are incredibly well-trained sailors. [1:55:52] They are led by incredible leaders, salty, experienced leaders, and trusted with deep responsibility. [1:56:00] And I'm so humbled and proud of America's Navy. [1:56:04] These sailors choose to take the road less traveled, to go into the historic surface Navy, and they deliver every single day. [1:56:13] Finally, as I often do, I want to highlight one of those surface sailors today and remember our fallen. [1:56:20] Today, we remember Ensign Robert Thompson of the U.S. Laffey, who died on this day in 1945 in the Battle of Okinawa. [1:56:28] He was killed while fighting a fire along with 31 others as two Japanese kamikaze aircraft hit their ship. [1:56:36] He passed away one week after his 22nd birthday and was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross. [1:56:43] We remember Ensign Thompson today and all of our World War II vets who continue to give us the gift of a great example. [1:56:51] And those surface warfare sailors who are out there doing the job right now take the courage, grit, and determination that those World War II vets gave us into these actions and activities that they're tasked to do every single day. [1:57:07] Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for being here today. [1:57:10] Last week, the President of the United States directed a ceasefire that temporarily paused major combat operations in Iran. [1:57:17] The unprecedented effort by America's Joint Force during Operation Epic Fury set the conditions for this ceasefire. [1:57:24] And as the Secretary said, I'd like to emphasize during this pause that the United States Joint Force remains postured and ready to resume major combat operations at literally a moment's notice. [1:57:38] This morning, I'd like to give you an update on the ongoing blockade in the CENTCOM AOR area of responsibility. [1:57:46] On Monday, 13 April, at 10 a.m. Eastern Standard Time, at the direction of the President, America's Joint Force began implementing a blockade against Iran under the leadership of Admiral Cooper and the team at CENTCOM. [1:58:03] Let me be clear, this blockade applies to all ships, regardless of nationality, heading into or from Iranian ports. [1:58:16] The U.S. action is a blockade of Iran's ports and coastline, not a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. [1:58:23] Enforcement will occur inside Iran's territorial seas and in international waters. [1:58:32] In addition to this blockade, the Joint Force, through operations and activities in other areas of responsibility, [1:58:41] like the Pacific area of responsibility, under the command of Admiral Paparo, will actively pursue any Iranian-flagged vessel or any vessel attempting to provide material support to Iran. [1:58:57] This includes dark fleet vessels carrying Iranian oil. [1:59:01] As most of you know, dark fleet vessels are those illicit or illegal ships evading international regulations, sanctions or insurance requirements. [1:59:12] More than 10,000 sailors, marines and airmen, over a dozen ships and dozens of aircraft, are executing this mission. [1:59:21] And let me walk you through this operation a little bit. [1:59:24] Please go to the first slide. [1:59:27] First to the graphic. [1:59:28] This is taken before the blockade began. [1:59:32] North is up. [1:59:33] You can see the blockade line here in the center of the graphic, denoted by the red dashed line. [1:59:41] This map is a pull from our common operating picture that we use to allow commanders and key leaders to see what is happening in near real time. [1:59:53] We just grabbed screen grabs to highlight the actions and activities. [1:59:58] What is not shown is how incredibly congested this area is and the incredible work that our sailors are doing to ensure that they can work in and around an incredibly busy water space. [2:00:14] What is also not depicted here is the massive force of fighters, intelligence aircraft, helicopters and other embarked forces to include aerial refueling tankers that are up overhead this blockade area. [2:00:31] You'll note that the U.S. forces are in blue, Iranian ships are in red, and as we started this blockade, there were seven ships of interest that were of concern for U.S. Central Command. [2:00:50] Through a variety of intelligence tools and with the assistance of the Office of Naval Intelligence and other intelligence agencies, the force began to hunt for potential interdictors at 10 a.m. Eastern Standard Time. [2:01:07] Next slide, please. [2:01:08] It's now 1240 Eastern Daylight Time, two hours and 40 minutes into the blockade as attempted blockade runners attempt to hop the line. [2:01:19] U.S. forces began to commit. [2:01:22] Out in front of them was a range of intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and tactical assets. [2:01:29] And immediately these runners began to see, sense and feel America's combat power compressing upon them. [2:01:39] The lead ship, normally a destroyer as depicted here, along with air power off of the USS Abraham Lincoln Strike Group, [2:01:47] began to move towards those ships. [2:01:52] At each point, the United States Navy will transmit a warning. [2:01:59] A young sailor, normally on the bridge of one of those destroyers, a junior officer, picks up that mic and transmits, and I quote, [2:02:07] do not attempt to breach the blockade. [2:02:10] Vessels will be boarded for interdiction and seizure transiting to or from Iranian ports. [2:02:18] Turn around or prepare to be boarded. [2:02:21] If you do not comply with this blockade, we will use force. [2:02:26] And as this message is being transmitted, as I mentioned earlier, those ship masters can literally see, sense and feel the pressure around them. [2:02:36] It's a finely tuned machine, rehearsed multiple times, and executed now 13 times since the blockade has begun. [2:02:46] Next slide, please. [2:02:47] Next slide, please. [2:02:48] We're now 24 hours plus into the blockade. [2:02:51] You can see the turning around of multiple ships, 12 of which stayed inside the blockade line, [2:02:58] one of which not depicted off to the eastern side turned around before even attempting it. [2:03:04] Any ship that would cross the blockade would result in our sailors executing pre-planned tactics designed to bring the force to that ship. [2:03:15] If need be, board the ship and take her over. [2:03:18] And that includes a series of escalated force options, which could include warning shots and others. [2:03:25] Next slide. [2:03:26] The final graphic shows taken at 11.20 p.m. the night of 14 April. [2:03:33] You can see that the captains of all these ships have made the wise decision not to move, transit, or run this blockade. [2:03:44] As I mentioned so far, 13 ships have made the wise choice of turning around. [2:03:49] And as we continue to hold this blockade at the order of the Secretary and the President, [2:03:54] any vessel that compares to comply with our instructions will be dealt with accordingly. [2:03:59] As of this morning, U.S. Central Command has not been required to board any particular ships. [2:04:07] And I'll remind you that we are also conducting similar maritime interdiction actions and activities in the Pacific AOR [2:04:17] against those ships that left that area before we began the blockade. [2:04:22] Before I turn it over to Admiral Cooper, I want to talk briefly today about the men and women enforcing the blockade, [2:04:30] America's sailors and Marines, and today particularly our destroyer and surface forces. [2:04:36] When we talk about an American destroyer, it's important that you and the American people understand their capabilities. [2:04:43] An Arleigh Burke-class destroyer are the backbone of the United States Navy surface fleet. [2:04:50] Over 500 feet long, they displace 9,000 tons, and it is the sports car of the United States Navy. [2:04:58] From the keel to the mast, they stand nearly 10 stories tall, and their four gas turbine engines can drive the ship at 30-plus knots. [2:05:08] These ships are armed to the teeth with surface-to-air missiles, land-attack cruise missiles, anti-ship missiles, anti-submarine rockets, [2:05:18] torpedoes, 5-inch naval guns, multiple electronic warfare systems, embarked helicopters, extending the reach and capability of each and every one of these destroyers. [2:05:30] But far and away, the most important weapon on board these ships is the American sailor. [2:05:37] Over 300 warfighters are the heart and soul of these warships. [2:05:42] At sea, sometimes for months, and these ships out in the CENTCOM AOR have been out there for months, [2:05:49] they operate around the clock in a constant state of readiness, always delivering for our joint force. [2:05:55] It's hot in the engine room. The engineering team keeps the lights on and the ship powered and able to respond to the orders from the bridge. [2:06:05] On that bridge, our sailors maintain a constant watch, maneuvering the ship tactically and safely through always congested water space. [2:06:15] And there is a lot out there. It is like driving a sports car through a supermarket parking lot on a payday weekend with thousands of kids in that parking lot as you attempt to maneuver through there to get to that ship that would attempt to run that blockade. [2:06:34] And down in the combat information center, the CIC, the tactical warfare center of the ship, that is where the decisions are made. [2:06:43] As threats appear, these young sailors are making real time decisions on how to identify these threats and handle them. [2:06:51] And they always deliver. [2:06:53] These ships are run by the youngest sailors in our surface warfare Navy. [2:06:59] The helmsman, the sailor on the watch at the bridge, is normally just between 18 to 19 years old. [2:07:08] And they are trusted to drive this warship through that supermarket parking lot without hitting anything. [2:07:15] The conning officer, an equally young commissioned officer, who's normally just a few years out of college, is the ones that are giving that young helmsman the orders on where to take that American warship to execute the mission that the secretary and the president has given us. [2:07:34] These are incredibly well-trained sailors. [2:07:38] They are led by incredible leaders, salty, experienced leaders, and trusted with deep responsibility. [2:07:46] And I'm so humbled and proud of America's Navy. [2:07:49] These sailors choose to take the road less traveled, to go into the historic surface Navy, and they deliver every single day. [2:07:59] Finally, as I often do, I want to highlight one of those surface sailors today and remember our fallen. [2:08:07] Today, we remember Ensign Robert Thompson of the U.S. Laffey, who died on this day in 1945 in the Battle of Okinawa. [2:08:15] He was killed while fighting a fire along with 31 others as two Japanese kamikaze aircraft hit their ship. [2:08:23] He passed away one week after his 22nd birthday and was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross. [2:08:30] We remember Ensign Thompson today and all of our World War II vets who continue to give us the gift of a great example. [2:08:37] And those surface warfare sailors who are out there doing the job right now take the courage, grit, and determination that those World War II vets gave us into these actions and activities that they're tasked to do every single day. [2:08:53] Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for being here today. [2:08:56] Last week, the President of the United States directed a ceasefire that temporarily paused major combat operations in Iran. [2:09:03] The unprecedented effort by America's Joint Force during Operation Epic Fury set the conditions for this ceasefire. [2:09:10] And as the Secretary said, I'd like to emphasize during this pause that the United States Joint Force remains postured and ready to resume major combat operations at literally a moment's notice. [2:09:24] This morning, I'd like to give you an update on the ongoing blockade in the CENTCOM AOR area of responsibility. [2:09:32] On Monday, 13 April, at 10 a.m. Eastern Standard Time, at the direction of the President, America's Joint Force began implementing a blockade against Iran under the leadership of Admiral Cooper and the team at CENTCOM. [2:09:49] Let me be clear, this blockade applies to all ships, regardless of nationality, heading into or from Iranian ports. [2:10:02] The U.S. action is a blockade of Iran's ports and coastline, not a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. [2:10:09] Enforcement will occur inside Iran's territorial seas and in international waters. [2:10:18] In addition to this blockade, the Joint Force, through operations and activities in other areas of responsibility, [2:10:27] like the Pacific area of responsibility, under the command of Admiral Paparo, will actively pursue any Iranian-flagged vessel or any vessel attempting to provide material support to Iran. [2:10:43] This includes dark fleet vessels carrying Iranian oil. [2:10:47] As most of you know, dark fleet vessels are those illicit or illegal ships evading international regulations, sanctions or insurance requirements. [2:10:58] More than 10,000 sailors, marines and airmen, over a dozen ships and dozens of aircraft, are executing this mission. [2:11:07] And let me walk you through this operation a little bit. [2:11:10] Please go to the first slide. [2:11:12] First to the graphic. [2:11:13] This is taken before the blockade began. [2:11:17] North is up. [2:11:18] You can see the blockade line here in the center of the graphic, denoted by the red dashed line. [2:11:25] This map is a pull from our common operating picture that we use to allow commanders and key leaders to see what is happening in near real time. [2:11:38] We just grabbed screen grabs to highlight the actions and activities. [2:11:43] What is not shown is how incredibly congested this area is and the incredible work that our sailors are doing to ensure that they can work in and around an incredibly busy water space. [2:11:59] What is also not depicted here is the massive force of fighters, intelligence aircraft, helicopters and other embarked forces to include aerial refueling tankers that are up overhead this blockade area. [2:12:17] You'll note that the U.S. forces are in blue, Iranian ships are in red, and as we started this blockade, there were seven ships of interest that were of concern for U.S. Central Command. [2:12:35] Through a variety of intelligence tools and with the assistance of the Office of Naval Intelligence and other intelligence agencies, the force began to hunt for potential interdictors at 10 a.m. Eastern Standard Time. [2:12:52] Next slide, please. [2:12:53] It's now 1240 Eastern Daylight Time, two hours and 40 minutes into the blockade as attempted blockade runners attempt to hop the line. [2:13:04] U.S. forces began to commit out in front of them was a range of intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and tactical assets. [2:13:14] And immediately these runners began to see, sense and feel America's combat power compressing upon them. [2:13:24] The lead ship, normally a destroyer, as depicted here, along with air power off of the USS Abraham Lincoln Strike Group, began to move towards those ships. [2:13:37] At each point, the United States Navy will transmit a warning. [2:13:44] A young sailor, normally on the bridge of one of those destroyers, a junior officer, picks up that mic and transmits, and I quote, [2:13:52] do not attempt to breach the blockade vessels will be boarded for interdiction and seizure transiting to or from Iranian ports turn around or prepare to be boarded. [2:14:07] If you do not comply with this blockade, we will use force. [2:14:12] And as this message is being transmitted, as I mentioned earlier, those ship masters can literally see, sense and feel the pressure around them. [2:14:22] It's a finely tuned machine rehearsed multiple times and executed now 13 times since the blockade has begun. [2:14:32] Next slide, please. [2:14:33] We're now 24 hours plus into the blockade. [2:14:36] You can see the turning around of multiple ships, 12 of which stayed inside the blockade line, one of which not depicted off to the eastern side turned around before even attempting it. [2:14:50] Any ship that would cross the blockade would result in our sailors executing pre-planned tactics designed to bring the force to that ship. [2:15:00] If need be, board the ship and take her over. [2:15:04] And that includes a series of escalated force options, which could include warning shots and others. [2:15:11] Next slide. [2:15:12] The final graphic shows taken at 11.20 p.m. the night of 14 April. [2:15:19] You can see that the captains of all these ships have made the wise decision not to move, transit, or run this blockade. [2:15:29] As I mentioned, so far 13 ships have made the wise choice of turning around. [2:15:35] And as we continue to hold this blockade at the order of the Secretary and the President, any vessel that compares to comply with our instructions will be dealt with accordingly. [2:15:45] As of this morning, U.S. Central Command has not been required to board any particular ships. [2:15:53] And I'll remind you that we are also conducting similar maritime interdiction actions and activities in the Pacific AOR against those ships that left that area before we began the blockade. [2:16:08] Before I turn it over to Admiral Cooper, I want to talk briefly today about the men and women enforcing the blockade, America's sailors and Marines, and today particularly our destroyer and surface forces. [2:16:22] When we talk about an American destroyer, it's important that you and the American people understand their capabilities. [2:16:29] An Arleigh Burke class destroyer are the backbone of the United States Navy surface fleet. [2:16:35] Over 500 feet long, they displace 9,000 tons, and it is the sports car of the United States Navy. [2:16:44] From the keel to the mast, they stand nearly 10 stories tall, and their four gas turbine engines can drive the ship at 30 plus knots. [2:16:54] These ships are armed to the teeth with surface air missiles, land attack cruise missiles, anti-ship missiles, anti-submarine rockets, torpedoes, 5-inch naval guns, multiple electronic warfare systems, embarked helicopters, extending the reach and capability of each and every one of these destroyers. [2:17:16] But far and away, the most important weapon on board these ships is the American sailor. [2:17:23] Over 300 war fighters are the heart and soul of these warships. [2:17:27] At sea, sometimes for months, and these ships out in the CENTCOM AOR have been out there for months. [2:17:34] They operate around the clock in a constant state of readiness, always delivering for our joint force. [2:17:41] It's hot in the engine room, the engineering team keeps the lights on and the ship powered and able to respond to the orders from the bridge. [2:17:51] On that bridge, our sailors maintain a constant watch, maneuvering the ship tactically and safely through always congested water space. [2:18:01] And there is a lot out there. [2:18:03] It is like driving a sports car through a supermarket parking lot on a payday weekend with thousands of kids in that parking lot as you attempt to maneuver through there to get to that ship that would attempt to run that blockade. [2:18:20] And down in the combat information center, the CIC, the tactical warfare center of the ship, that is where the decisions are made. [2:18:28] As threats appear, these young sailors are making real time decisions on how to identify these threats and handle them. [2:18:36] And they always deliver. [2:18:38] These ships are run by the youngest sailors in our surface warfare Navy. [2:18:45] The helmsman, the sailor on the watch at the bridge, is normally just between 18 to 19 years old. [2:18:54] And they are trusted to drive this warship through that supermarket parking lot without hitting anything. [2:19:00] The conning officer, an equally young commissioned officer, who's normally just a few years out of college, is the ones that are giving that young helmsman the orders on where to take that American warship to execute the mission that the secretary and the president has given us. [2:19:19] These are incredibly well-trained sailors. [2:19:24] They are led by incredible leaders, salty, experienced leaders, and trusted with deep responsibility. [2:19:32] And I'm so humbled and proud of America's Navy. [2:19:36] These sailors choose to take the road less traveled, to go into the historic surface Navy, and they deliver every single day. [2:19:45] Finally, as I often do, I want to highlight one of those surface sailors today and remember our fallen. [2:19:52] Today, we remember Ensign Robert Thompson of the U.S. Laffey, who died on this day in 1945 in the Battle of Okinawa. [2:20:00] He was killed while fighting a fire along with 31 others as two Japanese kamikaze aircraft hit their ship. [2:20:08] He passed away one week after his 22nd birthday and was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross. [2:20:15] We remember Ensign Thompson today and all of our World War II vets who continue to give us the gift of a great example. [2:20:23] And those surface warfare sailors who are out there doing the job right now take the courage, grit, and determination that those World War II vets gave us into these actions and activities that they're tasked to do every single day. [2:20:39] Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for being here today. [2:20:42] Last week, the President of the United States directed a ceasefire that temporarily paused major combat operations in Iran. [2:20:49] The unprecedented effort by America's Joint Force during Operation Epic Fury set the conditions for this ceasefire. [2:20:56] And as the Secretary said, I'd like to emphasize during this pause that the United States Joint Force remains postured and ready to resume major combat operations at literally a moment's notice. [2:21:10] This morning, I'd like to give you an update on the ongoing blockade in the CENTCOM AOR area of responsibility. [2:21:18] On Monday, 13 April, at 10 a.m. Eastern Standard Time, at the direction of the President, America's Joint Force began implementing a blockade against Iran under the leadership of Admiral Cooper and the team at CENTCOM. [2:21:35] Let me be clear. This blockade applies to all ships, regardless of nationality, heading into or from Iranian ports. [2:21:47] The U.S. action is a blockade of Iran's ports and coastline, not a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. [2:21:55] Enforcement will occur inside Iran's territorial seas and in international waters. [2:22:03] In addition to this blockade, the Joint Force, through operations and activities in other areas of responsibility, like the Pacific area of responsibility, under the command of Admiral Paparo, will actively pursue any Iranian-flagged vessel or any vessel attempting to provide material support to Iran. [2:22:29] This includes dark fleet vessels carrying Iranian oil. [2:22:33] As most of you know, dark fleet vessels are those illicit or illegal ships evading international regulations, sanctions, or insurance requirements. [2:22:43] More than 10,000 sailors, Marines, and airmen, over a dozen ships and dozens of aircraft, are executing this mission. [2:22:53] And let me walk you through this operation a little bit. Please go to the first slide. [2:22:57] First to the graphic. This is taken before the blockade began. North is up. [2:23:04] You can see the blockade line here in the center of the graphic, denoted by the red dashed line. [2:23:12] This map is a pull from our common operating picture that we use to allow commanders and key leaders to see what is happening in near real time. [2:23:24] We just grabbed screen grabs to highlight the actions and activities. [2:23:29] What is not shown is how incredibly congested this area is and the incredible work that our sailors are doing to ensure that they can work in and around an incredibly busy water space. [2:23:45] What is also not depicted here is the massive force of fighters, intelligence aircraft, helicopters, and other embarked forces to include aerial refueling tankers that are up overhead this blockade area. [2:24:02] You'll note that U.S. forces are in blue. Iranian ships are in red. [2:24:10] And as we started this blockade, there were seven ships of interest that were of concern for U.S. Central Command. [2:24:20] Through a variety of intelligence tools and with the assistance of the Office of Naval Intelligence and other intelligence agencies, [2:24:30] the force began to hunt for potential interdictors at 10 a.m. Eastern Standard Time. [2:24:38] Next slide, please. [2:24:39] It's now 1240 Eastern Daylight Time, two hours and 40 minutes into the blockade as attempted blockade runners attempt to hop the line. [2:24:51] U.S. forces began to commit. [2:24:53] Out in front of them was a range of intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and tactical assets. [2:25:00] And immediately these runners began to see, sense, and feel America's combat power compressing upon them. [2:25:10] The lead ship, normally a destroyer as depicted here, along with air power off of the USS Abraham Lincoln Strike Group, began to move towards those ships. [2:25:23] At each point, the United States Navy will transmit a warning. [2:25:30] A young sailor, normally on the bridge of one of those destroyers, a junior officer, picks up that mic and transmits and I quote, [2:25:38] Do not attempt to breach the blockade. [2:25:42] Vessels will be boarded for interdiction and seizure transiting to or from Iranian ports. [2:25:50] Turn around or prepare to be boarded. [2:25:54] If we do not comply with this blockade, we will use force. [2:25:58] And as this message is being transmitted, as I mentioned earlier, those ship masters can literally see, sense, and feel the pressure around them. [2:26:07] It's a finely tuned machine, rehearsed multiple times, and executed now 13 times since the blockade has begun. [2:26:17] Next slide, please. [2:26:19] We're now 24 hours plus into the blockade. [2:26:22] You can see the turning around of multiple ships, 12 of which stayed inside the blockade line, [2:26:29] one of which not depicted off to the eastern side turned around before even attempting it. [2:26:36] Any ship that would cross the blockade would result in our sailors executing pre-planned tactics designed to bring the force to that ship [2:26:46] If need be, board the ship and take her over. [2:26:50] And that includes a series of escalated force options, which could include warning shots and others. [2:26:57] Next slide. [2:26:59] The final graphic shows taken at 11.20 p.m. the night of 14 April. [2:27:05] You can see that the captains of all these ships have made the wise decision not to move, transit, or run this blockade. [2:27:15] As I mentioned, so far 13 ships have made the wise choice of turning around. [2:27:21] And as we continue to hold this blockade at the order of the Secretary and the President, [2:27:25] any vessel that compares to comply with our instructions will be dealt with accordingly. [2:27:31] As of this morning, U.S. Central Command has not been required to board any particular ships. [2:27:39] And I'll remind you that we are also conducting similar maritime interdiction actions and activities in the Pacific AOR [2:27:49] against those ships that left that area before we began the blockade. [2:27:54] Before I turn it over to Admiral Cooper, I want to talk briefly today about the men and women enforcing the blockade. [2:28:01] I want to talk briefly about the years from America's sailors and Marines, and today particularly our destroyer and surface forces. [2:28:07] When we talk about an American destroyer, it's important that you and the American people understand their capabilities. [2:28:13] An R.E. Burke-class destroyer are the backbone of the United States Navy surface fleet. [2:28:21] 500 feet long, they displace 9,000 tons and it is the sports car of the United [2:28:29] States Navy. From the keel to the mast, they stand nearly 10 stories tall and [2:28:35] their four gas turbine engines can drive the ship at 30 plus knots. These ships [2:28:41] are armed to the teeth with surface tear missiles, land attack cruise missiles, [2:28:46] anti-ship missiles, anti-submarine rockets, torpedoes, 5-inch naval guns, [2:28:52] multiple electronic warfare systems, embarked helicopters, extending the reach [2:28:57] and capability of each and every one of these destroyers. But far and away, the [2:29:04] most important weapon on board these ships is the American sailor. Over 300 [2:29:10] warfighters are the heart and soul of these warships. At sea, sometimes for [2:29:15] months and these ships out in the CENTCOM AOR have been out there for months, they [2:29:21] operate around the clock in a constant state of readiness, always delivering for [2:29:26] our joint force. It's hot in the engine room, the engineering team keeps the [2:29:31] lights on and the ship powered and able to respond to the orders from the bridge. On [2:29:37] that bridge, our sailors maintain a constant watch maneuvering the ship [2:29:41] tactically and safely through always congested water space. And there is a lot out there. It [2:29:49] is like driving a sports car through a supermarket parking lot on a payday weekend [2:29:56] with thousands of kids in that parking lot as you attempt to maneuver through there to [2:30:01] get to get to that ship that would attempt to run that blockade. Down in the [2:30:07] Combat Information Center, the CIC, the Tactical Warfare Center of the ship, that is [2:30:12] where the decisions are made. As threats appear, these young sailors are making [2:30:17] real-time decisions on how to identify these threats and handle them and they [2:30:22] always deliver. These ships are run by the youngest sailors in our surface warfare [2:30:30] Navy. The helmsman, the sailor on the watch at the bridge, is normally just between 18 [2:30:37] to 19 years old and they are trusted to drive this warship through that [2:30:43] supermarket parking lot without hitting anything. The conning officer, an equally [2:30:48] young commissioned officer who's normally just a few years out of college, is the [2:30:54] ones that are giving that young helmsman the orders on where to take that [2:30:59] American warship to execute the mission that the secretary and the president has [2:31:04] given us. These are incredibly well-trained sailors. They are led by incredible [2:31:11] leaders, salty, experienced leaders, and trusted with deep responsibility. And I'm so [2:31:18] humbled and proud of America's Navy. These sailors choose to take the road less [2:31:24] travel single day. Finally, as I often do, I want to highlight one of those surface [2:31:30] sailors today and remember our fallen. Today we remember Ensign Robert Thompson of [2:31:35] the U.S. Laffey, who died on this day in 1945 in the Battle of Okinawa. He was killed [2:31:42] while fighting a fire along with 31 others as two Japanese kamikaze aircraft hit [2:31:48] their ship. He passed away one week after his 22nd birthday and was posthumately [2:31:54] awarded the Navy Cross. We remember Ensign Thompson today and all of our World War [2:31:59] II vets who continue to give us the gift of a great example. And those surface [2:32:04] warfare sailors who are out there doing the job right now take the courage, grit, and [2:32:11] determination that those World War II vets gave us into these actions and activities [2:32:17] that they're tasked to do every single day. Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you [2:32:21] for being here today. Last week, the President of the United States directed a ceasefire that [2:32:26] temporarily paused major combat operations in Iran. The unprecedented effort by America's [2:32:32] joint force during Operation Epic Fury set the conditions for this ceasefire. And as [2:32:38] the Secretary said, I'd like to emphasize during this pause that the United States Joint Force [2:32:43] remains postured and ready to resume major combat operations at literally a moment's notice. [2:32:51] This morning, I'd like to give you an update on the ongoing blockade in the CENTCOM AOR area of [2:32:57] responsibility. On Monday, 13 April, at 10 a.m. Eastern Standard Time, at the direction of the [2:33:05] President, America's Joint Force began implementing a blockade against Iran under the leadership of [2:33:11] Admiral Cooper and the team at CENTCOM. Let me be clear, this blockade applies to all ships, [2:33:21] regardless of nationality, heading into or from Iranian ports. The U.S. action is a blockade of Iran's ports and [2:33:31] coastline, not a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Enforcement will occur inside Iran's territorial seas [2:33:41] and in international waters. In addition to this blockade, the Joint Force, through operations and [2:33:50] activities in other areas of responsibility, like the Pacific area of responsibility, under the command of [2:33:57] Admiral Paparo will actively pursue any Iranian-flagged vessel or any vessel attempting to provide material [2:34:08] support to Iran. This includes dark fleet vessels carrying Iranian oil. As most of you know, dark fleet [2:34:15] vessels are those illicit or illegal ships evading international regulations, sanctions, or insurance [2:34:23] requirements. More than 10,000 sailors, marines, and airmen, over a dozen ships and dozens of aircraft [2:34:32] are executing this mission. And let me walk you through this operation a little bit. Please go to the [2:34:37] first slide. First to the graphic. This is taken before the blockade began. North is up. You can see the [2:34:46] blockade line here in the center of the graphic denoted by the red dashed line. This map is a pull from our [2:34:56] common operating picture that we use to allow commanders and key leaders to see what is happening [2:35:04] in near real time. We just grabbed screen grabs to highlight the actions and activities. What is not shown [2:35:11] is how incredibly congested this area is and the incredible work that our sailors are doing to ensure [2:35:20] that they can work in and around an incredibly busy water space. What is also not depicted here is the [2:35:29] massive force of fighters, intelligence aircraft, helicopters, and other embarked forces to include [2:35:38] aerial refueling tankers that are up overhead this blockade area. You'll note that the U.S. forces are [2:35:46] in blue. Iranian ships are in red. And as we started this blockade, there were seven ships of interest [2:35:57] that were of concern for U.S. Central Command. Through a variety of intelligence tools and with the assistance of [2:36:06] the Office of Naval Intelligence and other intelligence agencies, the force began to hunt for potential [2:36:14] interdictors at 10 a.m. Eastern Standard Time. Next slide, please. It's now 1240 Eastern Daylight Time, [2:36:24] two hours and 40 minutes into the blockade as attempted blockade runners attempt to hop the line. [2:36:31] U.S. forces began to commit. Out in front of them was a range of intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, [2:36:39] and tactical assets. And immediately these runners began to see, sense, and feel America's combat power [2:36:49] compressing upon them. The lead ship, normally a destroyer as depicted here along with air power off of [2:36:56] the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln Strike Group, began to move towards those ships. At each point, the United [2:37:07] States Navy will transmit a warning. A young sailor, normally on the bridge of one of those destroyers, [2:37:14] a junior officer picks up that mic and transmits, and I quote, do not attempt to breach the blockade. [2:37:22] Vessels will be boarded for interdiction and seizure transiting to or from Iranian ports. Turn around [2:37:31] or prepare to be boarded. If you do not comply with this blockade, we will use force. And as this message [2:37:40] is being transmitted, as I mentioned earlier, those ship masters can literally see, sense, and feel the [2:37:47] pressure around them. It's a finely tuned machine, rehearsed multiple times, and executed now 13 times [2:37:55] since the blockade has begun. Next slide, please. We're now 24 hours plus into the blockade. You can see [2:38:04] the turning around of multiple ships, 12 of which stayed inside the blockade line, one of which not [2:38:11] depicted off to the eastern side turned around before even attempting it. Any ship that would cross the [2:38:19] blockade would result in our sailors executing pre-planned tactics designed to bring the force to [2:38:26] that ship. If need be, board the ship and take her over. And that includes a series of escalated force [2:38:34] options, which could include warning shots and others. Next slide. The final graphic shows taken [2:38:42] at 11 20 p.m. the night of 14 April. You can see that the captain of all captains of all these ships [2:38:50] have made the wise decision not to move transit or run this blockade. As I mentioned, so far 13 ships [2:38:58] have made the wise choice of turning around. And as we continue to hold this blockade at the order of [2:39:04] the Secretary and the President, any vessel that compares to comply with our instructions will be [2:39:10] dealt with accordingly. As of this morning, U.S. Central Command has not been required to board any [2:39:18] particular ships. And I'll remind you that we are also conducting similar maritime interdiction [2:39:26] actions and activities in the Pacific AOR against those ships that left that area before we began the [2:39:33] blockade. Before I turn it over to Admiral Cooper, I want to talk briefly today about the men and women [2:39:41] enforcing the blockade, America's sailors and marines, and today particularly our destroyer and surface [2:39:48] forces. When we talk about an American destroyer, it's important that you and the American people [2:39:54] understand their capabilities. An Arleigh Burke-class destroyer are the backbone of the United States Navy [2:40:01] surface fleet. Over 500 feet long, they displace 9,000 tons, and it is the sports car of the United [2:40:09] States Navy. From the keel to the mast, they stand nearly 10 stories tall, and their four gas turbine [2:40:17] engines can drive the ship at 30 plus knots. These ships are armed to the teeth with surface tear missiles, [2:40:25] land attack cruise missiles, anti-ship missiles, anti-submarine rockets, torpedoes, five-inch naval guns, [2:40:33] multiple electronic warfare systems, embarked helicopters, extending the reach and capability [2:40:40] of each and every one of these destroyers. But far and away, the most important weapon on board these [2:40:47] ships is the American sailor. Over 300 war fighters are the heart and soul of these warships. [2:40:54] At sea, sometimes for months, and these ships out in the CENTCOM AOR have been out there for months, [2:41:01] they operate around the clock in a constant state of readiness, always delivering for our joint force. [2:41:08] It's hot in the engine room, the engineering team keeps the lights on and the ship powered, [2:41:14] and able to respond to the orders from the bridge. On that bridge, our sailors maintain a constant watch, [2:41:21] maneuvering the ship tactically and safely through always congested water space. And there is a lot [2:41:29] out there. It is like driving a sports car through a supermarket parking lot on a payday weekend with [2:41:36] thousands of kids in that parking lot as you attempt to maneuver through there to get to that ship [2:41:43] that would attempt to run that blockade. Down in the Combat Information Center, the CIC, the Tactical [2:41:51] Warfare Center of the ship, that is where the decisions are made. As threats appear, these young [2:41:57] sailors are making real-time decisions on how to identify these threats and handle them, and they [2:42:03] always deliver. These ships are run by the youngest sailors in our surface warfare navy. The helmsman, [2:42:12] the sailor on the watch at the bridge, is normally just between 18 to 19 years old, [2:42:20] and they are trusted to drive this warship through that supermarket parking lot without hitting anything. [2:42:27] The conning officer, an equally young commissioned officer, who's normally just a few years out of [2:42:33] college, is the ones that are giving that young helmsman the orders on where to take that American [2:42:40] warship to execute the mission that the secretary and the president has given us. These are incredibly [2:42:48] well-trained sailors. They are led by incredible leaders, salty, experienced leaders, [2:42:55] and trusted with deep responsibility. And I'm so humbled and proud of America's navy. These sailors [2:43:03] choose to take the road less traveled, to go into the historic surface navy, and they deliver every single [2:43:11] day. Finally, as I often do, I want to highlight one of those surface sailors today and remember our fallen. [2:43:18] Today we remember Ensign Robert Thompson of the U.S. Laffey, who died on this day in 1945 in the [2:43:25] Battle of Okinawa. He was killed while fighting a fire, along with 31 others, as two Japanese [2:43:32] kamikaze aircraft hit their ship. He passed away one week after his 22nd birthday and was posthumately [2:43:40] awarded the navy cross. We remember Ensign Thompson today and all of our World War II vets who continue [2:43:46] to give us the gift of a great example. And those surface warfare sailors who are out there doing the job [2:43:54] right now, take the courage, grit, and determination that those World War II vets gave us into these [2:44:01] actions and activities that they're tasked to do every single day. Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. [2:44:07] Thank you for being here today. Last week, the President of the United States directed a ceasefire [2:44:11] that temporarily paused major combat operations in Iran. The unprecedented effort by America's joint [2:44:18] force during Operation Epic Fury set the conditions for this ceasefire. And as the Secretary said, [2:44:24] I'd like to emphasize during this pause that the United States Joint Force remains postured [2:44:30] and ready to resume major combat operations at literally a moment's notice. This morning, [2:44:37] I'd like to give you an update on the ongoing blockade in the CENTCOM-AOR area of responsibility. [2:44:44] On Monday, 13 April, at 10 a.m. Eastern Standard Time, at the direction of the President, [2:44:51] America's Joint Force began implementing a blockade against Iran under the leadership of Admiral Cooper [2:44:58] and the team at CENTCOM. Let me be clear, this blockade applies to all ships, regardless of nationality, [2:45:09] heading into or from Iranian ports. The U.S. action is a blockade of Iran's ports and coastline, [2:45:18] not a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Enforcement will occur inside Iran's territorial seas [2:45:27] and in international waters. In addition to this blockade, the Joint Force, through operations and [2:45:35] activities in other areas of responsibility, like the Pacific area of responsibility, under the command [2:45:42] of Admiral Paparo, will actively pursue any Iranian-flagged vessel or any vessel attempting to provide [2:45:52] material support to Iran. This includes dark fleet vessels carrying Iranian oil. As most of you know, [2:46:00] dark fleet vessels are those illicit or illegal ships evading international regulations, sanctions, [2:46:08] or insurance requirements. More than 10,000 sailors, marines, and airmen, over a dozen ships and dozens [2:46:16] of aircraft are executing this mission. And let me walk you through this operation a little bit. Please [2:46:22] go to the first slide. First to the graphic. This is taken before the blockade began. North is up. You can see [2:46:31] the blockade line here in the center of the graphic, denoted by the red dashed line. This map is a pull [2:46:41] from our common operating picture that we use to allow commanders and key leaders to see what is happening [2:46:49] in near real time. We just grabbed screen grabs to highlight the actions and activities. What is not [2:46:56] shown is how incredibly congested this area is and the incredible work that our sailors are doing to ensure [2:47:05] that they can work in and around an incredibly busy water space. What is also not depicted here is the [2:47:15] massive massive force of fighters, intelligence aircraft, helicopters, and other embarked forces to [2:47:24] include aerial refueling tankers that are up overhead this blockade area. You'll note that the U.S. forces [2:47:32] are in blue. Iranian ships are in red. And as we started this blockade, there were seven ships of interest [2:47:43] that were of concern for U.S. Central Command. Through a variety of intelligence tools and with the [2:47:51] assistance of the Office of Naval Intelligence and other intelligence agencies, the force began to hunt [2:47:59] for potential interdictors at 10 a.m. Eastern Standard Time. Next slide, please. It's now 12.40 [2:48:07] Eastern Daylight Time. Two hours and 40 minutes into the blockade as attempted blockade runners attempt to [2:48:15] hop the line. U.S. forces began to commit. Out in front of them was a range of intelligence, surveillance, [2:48:24] reconnaissance, and tactical assets. And immediately these runners began to see, sense, and feel America's [2:48:33] combat power compressing upon them. The lead ship, normally a destroyer, as depicted here, along with [2:48:41] air power off of the USS Abraham Lincoln Strike Group, began to move towards those ships. At each point, [2:48:52] the United States Navy will transmit a warning. A young sailor, normally on the bridge of one of those [2:48:59] destroyers, a junior officer picks up that mic and transmits, and I quote, do not attempt to breach the [2:49:06] blockade. Vessels will be boarded for interdiction and seizure transiting to or from Iranian ports. Turn [2:49:16] around or prepare to be boarded. If you do not comply with this blockade, we will use force. And as this [2:49:25] message is being transmitted, as I mentioned earlier, those ship masters can literally see, sense, and [2:49:32] feel the pressure around them. It's a finely tuned machine, rehearsed multiple times, and executed now [2:49:39] 13 times since the blockade has begun. Next slide, please. We're now 24 hours plus into the blockade. You [2:49:49] can see the turning around of multiple ships, 12 of which stayed inside the blockade line, one of which [2:49:57] not depicted off to the eastern side, turned around before even attempting it. Any ship that would cross [2:50:04] the blockade would result in our sailors executing pre-planned tactics designed to bring the force to [2:50:12] that ship. If need be, board the ship and and take her over. And that includes a series of escalated force [2:50:20] options, which could include warning shots and others. Next slide. The final graphic shows taken at 1120 p.m. [2:50:29] the night of 14 April. You can see that the captain of all captains of all these ships have made the wise [2:50:37] decision not to move transit or run this blockade. As I mentioned, so far 13 ships have made the wise [2:50:45] choice of turning around. And as we continue to hold this blockade at the order of the secretary and the [2:50:51] president, any vessel that compares to comply with our instructions will be dealt with accordingly. As of this [2:50:58] morning, U.S. Central Command has not been required to board any particular ships. And I'll remind you that [2:51:07] we are also conducting similar maritime interdiction actions and activities in the Pacific AOR [2:51:15] against those ships that left that area before we began the blockade. Before I turn it over to Admiral Cooper, [2:51:23] I want to talk briefly today about the men and women enforcing the blockade, America's sailors and marines, [2:51:30] and today particularly our destroyer and surface forces. When we talk about an American destroyer, [2:51:37] it's important that you and the American people understand their capabilities. An Arleigh Burke-class [2:51:43] destroyer are the backbone of the United States Navy surface fleet. Over 500 feet long, they displace [2:51:50] 9,000 tons and it is the sports car of the United States Navy. From the keel to the mast, they stand nearly 10 [2:52:00] stories tall and their four gas turbine engines can drive the ship at 30-plus knots. These ships are [2:52:08] armed to the teeth with surface-to-air missiles, land-attack cruise missiles, anti-ship missiles, [2:52:14] anti-submarine rockets, torpedoes, five-inch naval guns, multiple electronic warfare systems, embarked [2:52:21] helicopters, extending the reach and capability of each and every one of these destroyers. But far and away, [2:52:30] the most important weapon on board these ships is the American sailor. Over 300 war fighters are the [2:52:37] heart and soul of these warships. At sea, sometimes for months, and these ships out in the CENTCOM AOR [2:52:45] have been out there for months. They operate around the clock in a constant state of readiness, always [2:52:51] delivering for our joint force. It's hot in the engine room. The engineering team keeps the lights on and [2:52:58] the ship powered and able to respond to the orders from the bridge. On that bridge, our sailors maintain [2:53:05] a constant watch, maneuvering the ship tactically and safely through always congested water space. And there is a [2:53:14] lot out there. It is like driving a sports car through a supermarket parking lot on a payday weekend with [2:53:22] thousands of kids in that parking lot as you attempt to maneuver through there to get to that ship that [2:53:29] would attempt to run that blockade. Down in the combat information center, the CIC, the tactical warfare [2:53:37] center of the ship, that is where the decisions are made. As threats appear, these young sailors are making [2:53:43] real-time decisions on how to identify these threats and handle them, and they always deliver. These [2:53:51] ships are run by the youngest sailors in our surface warfare navy. The helmsman, the sailor on the watch [2:54:00] at the bridge, is normally just between 18 to 19 years old, and they are trusted to drive this warship [2:54:08] through that supermarket parking lot without hitting anything. The conning officer, an equally young [2:54:16] commissioned officer who's normally just a few years out of college, is the ones that are giving that [2:54:22] young helmsman the orders on where to take that American warship to execute the mission that the [2:54:28] secretary and the president has given us. These are incredibly well-trained sailors. They are led by [2:54:37] incredible leaders, salty, experienced leaders, and trusted with deep responsibility, and I'm so humbled [2:54:45] and proud of America's navy. These sailors choose to take the road less traveled to go into the historic [2:54:52] surface navy, and they deliver every single day. Finally, as I often do, I want to highlight one of those [2:55:00] surface sailors today and remember our fallen. Today we remember Ensign Robert Thompson of the US Laffey, [2:55:08] who died on this day in 1945 in the Battle of Okinawa. He was killed while fighting a fire along with 31 [2:55:16] others as two Japanese kamikaze aircraft hit their ship. He passed away one week after his 22nd birthday [2:55:24] and was posthumously awarded the navy cross. We remember Ensign Thompson today and all of our World [2:55:30] War II vets who continue to give us the gift of a great example. And those surface warfare sailors who [2:55:38] are out there doing the job right now take the courage, grit, and determination that those World War II [2:55:44] vets gave us into these actions and activities that they're tasked to do every single day. Good morning, [2:55:51] ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for being here today. Last week, the President of the United States [2:55:55] directed a ceasefire that temporarily paused major combat operations in Iran. The unprecedented effort [2:56:02] by America's Joint Force during Operation Epic Fury set the conditions for this ceasefire. [2:56:08] And as the Secretary said, I'd like to emphasize during this pause that the United States Joint Force [2:56:15] remains postured and ready to resume major combat operations at literally a moment's notice. [2:56:21] This morning, I'd like to give you an update on the ongoing blockade in the CENTCOM AOR area of [2:56:29] responsibility. On Monday, 13 April at 10 a.m. Eastern Standard Time, at the direction of the [2:56:36] President, America's Joint Force began implementing a blockade against Iran under the leadership of Admiral [2:56:43] Cooper and the team at CENTCOM. Let me be clear, this blockade applies to all ships [2:56:52] regardless of nationality heading into or from Iranian ports. The U.S. action is a blockade of Iran's ports [2:57:02] and coastline, not a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Enforcement will occur inside Iran's territorial seas [2:57:12] and in international waters. In addition to this blockade, the Joint Force, through operations and [2:57:21] activities in other areas of responsibility, like the Pacific area of responsibility, under the command [2:57:28] of Admiral Paparo will actively pursue any Iranian flagged vessel or any vessel attempting to provide [2:57:38] material support to Iran. This includes dark fleet vessels carrying Iranian oil. As most of you know, [2:57:46] dark fleet vessels are those illicit or illegal ships evading international regulations, sanctions, [2:57:53] or insurance requirements. More than 10,000 sailors, marines and airmen over a dozen ships and dozens of [2:58:02] aircraft are executing this mission. And let me walk you through this operation a little bit. Please go to [2:58:08] the first slide. First to the graphic. This is taken before the blockade began. North is up. You can see the [2:58:17] blockade line here in the center of the graphic, denoted by the red dashed line. This map is a pull [2:58:26] from our common operating picture that we use to allow commanders and key leaders to see what is [2:58:34] happening in near real time. We just grabbed screen grabs to highlight the actions and activities. What is not [2:58:42] shown is how incredibly congested this area is and the incredible work that our sailors are doing to ensure [2:58:51] that they can work in and around an incredibly busy water space. What is also not depicted here is the [2:59:01] massive force of fighters, intelligence aircraft, helicopters, and other embarked forces to include [2:59:09] aerial refueling tankers that are up overhead this blockade area. You'll note that the U.S. forces are in blue. [2:59:18] Iranian ships are in red. And as we started this blockade, there were seven ships of interest that [2:59:29] were of concern for U.S. Central Command. Through a variety of intelligence tools and with the assistance [2:59:37] of the Office of Naval Intelligence and other intelligence agencies, the force began to hunt [2:59:44] hunt for potential interdictors at 10 a.m. Eastern Standard Time. Next slide, please. It's now 1240 [2:59:53] Eastern Daylight Time, two hours and 40 minutes into the blockade as attempted blockade runners attempt to [3:00:01] hop the line. U.S. forces began to commit. Out in front of them was a range of intelligence, surveillance, [3:00:09] reconnaissance, and tactical assets. And immediately these runners began to see, sense, and feel America's [3:00:18] combat power compressing upon them. The lead ship, normally a destroyer as depicted here along with [3:00:26] air power off of the USS Abraham Lincoln Strike Group, began to move towards those ships. At each point, [3:00:38] the United States Navy will transmit a warning. A young sailor, normally on the bridge of one of [3:00:44] those destroyers, a junior officer, picks up that mic and transmits, and I quote, [3:00:50] do not attempt to breach the blockade. Vessels will be boarded for interdiction and seizure transiting to [3:00:58] or from Iranian ports. Turn around or prepare to be boarded. If you do not comply with this [3:01:07] blockade, we will use force. And as this message is being transmitted, as I mentioned earlier, those ship [3:01:14] masters can literally see, sense, and feel the pressure around them. It's a finely tuned machine, [3:01:21] rehearsed multiple times, and executed now 13 times since the blockade has begun. Next slide, please. [3:01:30] We're now 24 hours plus into the blockade. You can see the turning around of multiple ships, [3:01:38] 12 of which stayed inside the blockade line, one of which not depicted off to the eastern side, [3:01:45] turned around before even attempting it. Any ship that would cross the blockade would result in our [3:01:53] sailors executing pre-planned tactics designed to bring the force to that ship. If need be, board the [3:02:00] ship and take her over. And that includes a series of escalated force options, which could include [3:02:07] warning shots and others. Next slide. The final graphic shows taken at 11 20 p.m. the night of 14 [3:02:16] April. You can see that the captain of all captains of all these ships have made the wise decision not to [3:02:23] move, transit, or run this blockade. As I mentioned, so far 13 ships have made the wise choice of turning [3:02:32] around. And as we continue to hold this blockade at the order of the secretary and the president, [3:02:37] any vessel that compares to comply with our instructions will be dealt with accordingly. [3:02:43] As of this morning, U.S. Central Command has not been required to board any particular ships. [3:02:51] And I'll remind you that we are also conducting similar maritime interdiction actions and activities [3:02:59] in the Pacific AOR against those ships that left that area before we began the blockade. [3:03:06] Before I turn it over to Admiral Cooper, I want to talk briefly today about the men and women [3:03:12] enforcing the blockade, America's sailors and marines, and today particularly our destroyer and [3:03:18] surface forces. When we talk about an American destroyer, it's important that you and the American [3:03:25] people understand their capabilities. An Arleigh Burke-class destroyer are the backbone of the United States [3:03:31] Navy surface fleet. Over 500 feet long, they displace 9,000 tons and it is the sports car of the United [3:03:41] States Navy. From the keel to the mast, they stand nearly 10 stories tall and their four gas turbine [3:03:48] engines can drive the ship at 30 plus knots. These ships are armed to the teeth with surface tear missiles, [3:03:56] missiles, land attack cruise missiles, anti-ship missiles, anti-submarine rockets, torpedoes, [3:04:02] five-inch naval guns, multiple electronic warfare systems, embarked helicopters, extending the reach [3:04:10] and capability of each and every one of these destroyers. But far and away, the most important [3:04:17] weapon on board these ships is the American sailor. Over 300 warfighters are the heart and soul of these [3:04:24] warships. At sea, sometimes for months, and these ships out in the CENTCOM AOR have been out there for [3:04:31] months, they operate around the clock in a constant state of readiness, always delivering for our joint [3:04:38] force. It's hot in the engine room, the engineering team keeps the lights on and the ship powered and able [3:04:46] to respond to the orders from the bridge. On that bridge, our sailors maintain a constant watch, maneuvering [3:04:53] the ship tactically and safely through always congested water space. And there is a lot out there. It is like [3:05:02] driving a sports car through a supermarket parking lot on a payday weekend with thousands of kids in that [3:05:09] parking lot as you attempt to maneuver through there to get to that ship that would attempt to run that [3:05:16] blockade. Down in the combat information center, the CIC, the tactical warfare center of the ship, [3:05:24] that is where the decisions are made. As threats appear, these young sailors are making real-time [3:05:30] decisions on how to identify these threats and handle them and they always deliver. These ships are run by the [3:05:38] the youngest sailors in our surface warfare navy. The helmsman, the sailor on the watch at the bridge, [3:05:47] is normally just between 18 to 19 years old and they are trusted to drive this warship through that [3:05:54] supermarket parking lot without hitting anything. The conning officer, an equally young commissioned [3:06:02] officer who's normally just a few years out of college, is the ones that are giving that young's [3:06:08] helmsman the orders on where to take that American warship to execute the mission that the secretary [3:06:15] and the president has given us. These are incredibly well-trained sailors. They are led by incredible [3:06:23] leaders, salty experienced leaders, and trusted with deep responsibility. And I'm so humbled and proud of [3:06:32] America's navy. These sailors choose to take the road less traveled to go into the historic [3:06:38] surface navy, and they deliver every single day. Finally, as I often do, I want to highlight one of those [3:06:46] surface sailors today and remember our fallen. Today we remember Ensign Robert Thompson of the U.S. Laffey, [3:06:53] who died on this day in 1945 in the Battle of Okinawa. He was killed while fighting a fire, along with 31 others, [3:07:02] as two Japanese kamikaze aircraft hit their ship. He passed away one week after his 22nd birthday [3:07:10] and was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross. We remember Ensign Thompson today and all of our World War II [3:07:16] vets who continue to give us the gift of a great example. And those surface warfare sailors who are out [3:07:24] there doing the job right now take the courage, grit, and determination that those World War II vets gave us [3:07:31] into these actions and activities that they're tasked to do every single day. Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. [3:07:38] Thank you for being here today. Last week, the President of the United States directed a ceasefire that [3:07:42] temporarily paused major combat operations in Iran. The unprecedented effort by America's joint force during [3:07:50] Operation Epic Fury set the conditions for this ceasefire. And as the Secretary said, I'd like to emphasize during this [3:07:57] pause that the United States Joint Force remains postured and ready to resume major combat operations at literally a [3:08:06] moment's notice. This morning, I'd like to give you an update on the ongoing blockade in the CENTCOM AOR area of [3:08:14] responsibility. On Monday, 13 April, at 10 a.m. Eastern Standard Time, at the direction of the President, America's [3:08:23] Joint Force began implementing a blockade against Iran under the leadership of Admiral Cooper and the team at CENTCOM. [3:08:32] Let me be clear, this blockade applies to all ships, regardless of nationality, heading into or from Iranian ports. [3:08:44] The U.S. action is a blockade of Iran's ports and coastline, not a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. [3:08:53] Enforcement will occur inside Iran's territorial seas and in international waters. In addition to this [3:09:02] blockade, the Joint Force, through operations and activities in other areas of responsibility, [3:09:10] like the Pacific area of responsibility, under the command of Admiral Paparo, will actively pursue [3:09:18] any Iranian-flagged vessel or any vessel attempting to provide material support to Iran. This includes [3:09:27] dark fleet vessels carrying Iranian oil. As most of you know, dark fleet vessels are those illicit or [3:09:34] illegal ships evading international regulations, sanctions, or insurance requirements. More than 10,000 [3:09:43] sailors, marines, and airmen, over a dozen ships and dozens of aircraft, are executing this mission. [3:09:51] And let me walk you through this operation a little bit. Please go to the first slide. [3:09:56] First to the graphic. This is taken before the blockade began. North is up. You can see the [3:10:02] blockade line here in the center of the graphic, denoted by the red dashed line. This map is a pull [3:10:12] from our common operating picture that we use to allow commanders and key leaders to see what is happening [3:10:20] in near real time. We just grabbed screen grabs to highlight the actions and activities. What is not shown [3:10:28] is how incredibly congested this area is and the incredible work that our sailors are doing to ensure [3:10:36] that they can work in and around an incredibly busy water space. What is also not depicted here [3:10:45] is the massive force of fighters, intelligence aircraft, helicopters, and other embarked forces to [3:10:55] include aerial refueling tankers that are up overhead this blockade area. You'll note that US forces are in [3:11:03] blue, Iranian ships are in red, and as we started this blockade, there were seven ships of interest that [3:11:14] were of concern for US Central Command. Through a variety of intelligence tools and with the assistance [3:11:23] of the Office of Naval Intelligence and other intelligence agencies, the force began to hunt [3:11:30] for potential interdictors at 10 a.m. Eastern Standard Time. Next slide, please. It's now 1240 Eastern Daylight [3:11:40] time. Two hours and 40 minutes into the blockade as attempted blockade runners attempt to hop the line. [3:11:49] US forces began to commit. Out in front of them was a range of intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, [3:11:56] and tactical assets, and immediately these runners began to see, sense, and feel America's combat power [3:12:05] compressing upon them. The lead ship, normally a destroyer as depicted here, along with air power off [3:12:13] of the USS Abraham Lincoln Strike Group, began to move towards those ships. At each point, the United States Navy [3:12:25] will transmit a warning. A young sailor, normally on the bridge of one of those destroyers, a junior officer, [3:12:32] picks up that mic and transmits, and I quote, do not attempt to breach the blockade. Vessels will be boarded [3:12:40] for interdiction and seizure, transiting to or from Iranian ports. Turn around or prepare to be boarded. [3:12:50] If you do not comply with this blockade, we will use force. And as this message is being transmitted, [3:12:58] as I mentioned earlier, those ship masters can literally see, sense, and feel the pressure [3:13:04] around them. It's a finely tuned machine, rehearsed multiple times, and executed now 13 times since the [3:13:12] blockade has begun. Next slide, please. We're now 24 hours plus into the blockade. You can see the turning [3:13:22] around of multiple ships, 12 of which stayed inside the blockade line, one of which not depicted off to [3:13:29] the eastern side turned around before even attempting it. Any ship that would cross the blockade would [3:13:37] result in our sailors executing pre-planned tactics designed to bring the force to that ship. If need [3:13:45] be, board the ship and take her over. And that includes a series of escalated force options, which [3:13:52] could include warning shots and others. Next slide. The final graphic shows taken at 11 20 pm the night [3:14:01] of 14 April. You can see that the captain of all captains of all these ships have made the wise decision [3:14:09] not to move, transit, or run this blockade. As I mentioned, so far 13 ships have made the wise choice [3:14:17] of turning around. And as we continue to hold this blockade at the order of the Secretary and the [3:14:22] President, any vessel that compares to comply with our instructions will be dealt with accordingly. [3:14:28] As of this morning, U.S. Central Command has not been required to board any particular ships. [3:14:37] And I'll remind you that we are also conducting similar maritime interdiction actions and activities [3:14:44] in the Pacific AOR against those ships that left that area before we began the blockade. [3:14:52] Before I turn it over to Admiral Cooper, I want to talk briefly today about the men and women enforcing [3:14:58] the blockade, America's sailors and marines, and today particularly our destroyer and surface forces. [3:15:05] When we talk about an American destroyer, it's important that you and the American people [3:15:11] understand their capabilities. An Arleigh Burke-class destroyer are the backbone of the United States [3:15:17] Navy surface fleet. Over 500 feet long, they displace 9,000 tons, and it is the sports car [3:15:26] of the United States Navy. From the keel to the mast, they stand nearly 10 stories tall, [3:15:32] and their four gas turbine engines can drive the ship at 30-plus knots. These ships are armed to the [3:15:40] teeth with surface-to-air missiles, land-attack cruise missiles, anti-ship missiles, anti-submarine [3:15:46] rockets, torpedoes, five-inch naval guns, multiple electronic warfare systems, embarked helicopters, [3:15:54] extending the reach and capability of each and every one of these destroyers. But far and away, [3:16:01] the most important weapon on board these ships is the American sailor. Over 300 warfighters are the [3:16:09] heart and soul of these warships. At sea, sometimes for months, and these ships out in the CENTCOM AOR [3:16:16] have been out there for months. They operate around the clock in a constant state of readiness, [3:16:22] always delivering for our joint force. It's hot in the engine room. The engineering team keeps the [3:16:28] lights on and the ship powered and able to respond to the orders from the bridge. On that bridge, our [3:16:36] sailors maintain a constant watch, maneuvering the ship tactically and safely through always congested [3:16:44] water space. And there is a lot out there. It is like driving a sports car through a supermarket parking [3:16:51] lot on a payday weekend with thousands of kids in that parking lot as you attempt to maneuver through [3:16:58] there to get to that ship that would attempt to run that blockade. Down in the Combat Information Center, [3:17:06] the CIC, the Tactical Warfare Center of the ship, that is where the decisions are made. As threats appear, [3:17:13] these young sailors are making real-time decisions on how to identify these threats and handle them, [3:17:19] and they always deliver. These ships are run by the youngest sailors in our surface warfare navy. The [3:17:28] helmsman, the sailor on the watch at the bridge, is normally just between 18 to 19 years old, and they [3:17:37] are trusted to drive this warship through that supermarket parking lot without hitting anything. [3:17:44] The conning officer, an equally young commissioned officer who's normally just a few years out of [3:17:50] college, is the ones that are giving that young helmsman the orders on where to take that American [3:17:57] warship to execute the mission that the secretary and the president has given us. These are incredibly [3:18:05] well-trained sailors. They are led by incredible leaders, salty, experienced leaders, and trusted with [3:18:13] deep responsibility. And I'm so humbled and proud of America's navy. These sailors choose to take the [3:18:21] road less traveled to go into the historic surface navy, and they deliver every single day. Finally, as I often [3:18:30] do I want to highlight one of those surface sailors today and remember our fallen. Today we remember [3:18:36] Ensign Robert Thompson of the U.S. Laffey, who died on this day in 1945 in the Battle of Okinawa. He was [3:18:44] killed while fighting a fire along with 31 others as two Japanese kamikaze aircraft hit their ship. He passed [3:18:52] away one week after his 22nd birthday and was posthumously awarded the navy cross. We remember [3:18:59] Ensign Thompson today and all of our World War II vets who continue to give us the gift of a great [3:19:05] example. And those surface warfare sailors who are out there doing the job right now take the courage, [3:19:13] grit, and determination that those World War II vets gave us into these actions and activities that [3:19:19] they're tasked to do every single day. Good morning ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for being here today. [3:19:25] Last week the President of the United States directed a ceasefire that temporarily paused major combat [3:19:30] operations in Iran. The unprecedented effort by America's joint force during Operation Epic Fury set [3:19:37] the conditions for this ceasefire. And as the Secretary said, I'd like to emphasize during this pause [3:19:44] that the United States joint force remains postured and ready to resume major combat operations at [3:19:51] literally a moment's notice. This morning I'd like to give you an update on the ongoing blockade in [3:19:57] the CENTCOM AOR area of responsibility. On Monday 13 April at 10 a.m. Eastern Standard Time at the [3:20:06] direction of the President, America's joint force began implementing a blockade against Iran under the [3:20:13] leadership of the leadership of Admiral Cooper and the team at CENTCOM. Let me be clear, this blockade [3:20:21] applies to all ships regardless of nationality heading into or from Iranian ports. The U.S. action is a [3:20:32] blockade of Iran's ports and coastline, not a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Enforcement will occur [3:20:41] inside Iran's territorial seas and in international waters. In addition to this blockade, the joint force [3:20:51] through operations and activities in other areas of responsibility, like the Pacific area of [3:20:57] responsibility under the command of Admiral Paparo, will actively pursue any Iranian flagged vessel or any [3:21:07] dark fleet vessel attempting to provide material support to Iran. This includes dark fleet vessels [3:21:14] carrying Iranian oil. As most of you know, dark fleet vessels are those illicit or illegal ships evading [3:21:21] international regulations, sanctions, or insurance requirements. More than 10,000 sailors, marines, [3:21:30] and airmen. Over a dozen ships and dozens of aircraft are executing this mission. And let me walk you [3:21:37] through this operation a little bit. Please go to the first slide. First to the graphic. This is taken [3:21:44] before the blockade began. North is up. You can see the blockade line here in the center of the graphic [3:21:52] denoted by the red dashed line. This map is a pull from our common operating picture that we use to allow [3:22:01] commanders and key leaders to see what is happening in near real time. We just grabbed screen grabs to [3:22:10] highlight the actions and activities. What is not shown is how incredibly congested this area is and the [3:22:19] incredible work that our sailors are doing to ensure that they can work in and around an incredibly busy [3:22:27] water space. What is also not depicted here is the massive massive force of fighters, intelligence, [3:22:36] aircraft, aircraft, helicopters, and other embarked forces to include aerial refueling tankers that are [3:22:43] up overhead this blockade area. You'll note that the U.S. forces are in blue. Iranian ships are in red. [3:22:55] And as we started this blockade, there were seven ships of interest that were of concern [3:23:02] for U.S. Central Command. Through a variety of intelligence tools and with the assistance of the [3:23:09] Office of Naval Intelligence and other intelligence agencies, the force began to hunt for potential [3:23:17] interdictors at 10 a.m. Eastern Standard Time. Next slide, please. It's now 1240 Eastern Daylight Time, [3:23:26] two hours and 40 minutes into the blockade as attempted blockade runners attempt to hop the line. [3:23:34] U.S. forces began to commit. Out in front of them was a range of intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, [3:23:42] and tactical assets. And immediately these runners began to see, sense, and feel America's combat power [3:23:50] compressing upon them. The lead ship, normally a destroyer as depicted here along with air power off [3:23:59] of the USS Abraham Lincoln Strike Group, began to move towards those ships. At each point, [3:24:09] the United States Navy will transmit a warning. A young sailor, normally on the bridge of one of [3:24:15] those destroyers, a junior officer, picks up that mic and transmits, and I quote, [3:24:21] do not attempt to breach the blockade. Vessels will be boarded for interdiction and seizure transiting to [3:24:30] or from Iranian ports. Turn around or prepare to be boarded. If you do not comply with this blockade, [3:24:39] we will use force. And as this message is being transmitted, as I mentioned earlier, [3:24:45] those ship masters can literally see, sense, and feel the pressure around them. It's a finely tuned [3:24:52] machine, rehearsed multiple times, and executed now 13 times since the blockade has begun. Next slide, [3:25:01] please. We're now 24 hours plus into the blockade. You can see the turning around of multiple ships, [3:25:10] 12 of which stayed inside the blockade line, one of which not depicted off to the eastern side, [3:25:16] turned around before even attempting it. Any ship that would cross the blockade would result in our [3:25:24] sailors executing pre-planned tactics designed to bring the force to that ship. If need be, [3:25:30] board the ship and take her over. And that includes a series of escalated force options, [3:25:37] which could include warning shots and others. Next slide. The final graphic shows taken at 11.20 [3:25:46] p.m. the night of 14 April. You can see that the captains of all these ships have made the wise [3:25:53] decision not to move, transit, or run this blockade. As I mentioned, so far 13 ships [3:26:01] have made the wise choice of turning around. And as we continue to hold this blockade at the order of [3:26:07] the Secretary and the President, any vessel that compares to comply with our instructions [3:26:12] will be dealt with accordingly. As of this morning, U.S. Central Command has not been required to board any [3:26:21] particular ships. And I'll remind you that we are also conducting similar maritime interdiction [3:26:28] actions and activities in the Pacific AOR against those ships that left that area before we began the [3:26:36] blockade. Before I turn it over to Admiral Cooper, I want to talk briefly today about the men and women [3:26:43] enforcing the blockade, America's sailors and Marines, and today particularly our destroyer and surface [3:26:50] forces. When we talk about an American destroyer, it's important that you and the American people [3:26:56] understand their capabilities. An Arleigh Burke-class destroyer are the backbone of the United States Navy [3:27:03] surface fleet. Over 500 feet long, they displace 9,000 tons and it is the sports car of the United States Navy. [3:27:13] From the keel to the mast, they stand nearly 10 stories tall and their four gas turbine engines can drive [3:27:21] the ship at 30 plus knots. These ships are armed to the teeth with surface tear missiles, land attack cruise [3:27:29] missiles, anti-ship missiles, anti-submarine rockets, torpedoes, five-inch naval guns, multiple electronic [3:27:37] warfare systems, embarked helicopters, extending the reach and capability of each and every one of these [3:27:44] destroyers. But far and away, the most important weapon on board these ships is the American sailor. [3:27:52] Over 300 warfighters are the heart and soul of these warships. At sea, sometimes for months, and these [3:27:59] ships out in the CENTCOM AOR have been out there for months, they operate around the clock in a constant [3:28:06] state of readiness, always delivering for our joint force. It's hot in the engine room, the engineering team [3:28:14] keeps the lights on and the ship powered and able to respond to the orders from the bridge. On that bridge, [3:28:21] our sailors maintain a constant watch, maneuvering the ship tactically and safely through always [3:28:28] congested water space. And there is a lot out there. It is like driving a sports car through a [3:28:35] supermarket parking lot on a payday weekend with thousands of kids in that parking lot as you attempt to [3:28:42] maneuver through there to get to that ship that would attempt to run that blockade. Down in the combat [3:28:51] information center, the CIC, the tactical warfare center of the ship, that is where the decisions [3:28:57] are made. As threats appear, these young sailors are making real-time decisions on how to identify [3:29:03] these threats and handle them, and they always deliver. These ships are run by the youngest sailors [3:29:11] in our surface warfare navy. The helmsman, the sailor on the watch at the bridge, is normally just between [3:29:20] 18 to 19 years old, and they are trusted to drive this warship through that supermarket parking lot [3:29:28] without hitting anything. The conning officer, an equally young commissioned officer who's normally [3:29:34] just a few years out of college, is the ones that are giving that young helmsman the orders on where to take [3:29:42] that American warship to execute the mission that the secretary and the president has given us. These are [3:29:49] incredibly well-trained sailors. They are led by incredible leaders, salty experienced leaders, and [3:29:58] trusted with deep responsibility. And I'm so humbled and proud of America's navy. These sailors choose to [3:30:06] take the road less traveled to go into the historic surface navy, and they deliver every single day. [3:30:14] Finally, as I often do, I want to highlight one of those surface sailors today and remember our fallen. [3:30:21] Today we remember Ensign Robert Thompson of the U.S. Laffey, who died on this day in 1945 in the Battle of [3:30:28] Okinawa. He was killed while fighting a fire along with 31 others as two Japanese kamikaze aircraft hit [3:30:36] their ship. He passed away one week after his 22nd birthday and was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross. [3:30:44] We remember Ensign Thompson today and all of our World War II vets who continue to give us the gift of a [3:30:50] great example. And those surface warfare sailors who are out there doing the job right now take the [3:30:58] courage, grit, and determination that those World War II vets gave us into these actions and activities [3:31:05] that they're tasked to do every single day. Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for being [3:31:10] here today. Last week the President of the United States directed a ceasefire that temporarily paused major [3:31:15] combat operations in Iran. The unprecedented effort by America's Joint Force during Operation Epic Fury set [3:31:23] the conditions for this ceasefire. And as the Secretary said, I'd like to emphasize during this pause [3:31:30] that the United States Joint Force remains postured and ready to resume major combat operations at [3:31:36] literally a moment's notice. This morning I'd like to give you an update on the ongoing blockade in the [3:31:43] CENTCOM AOR area of responsibility. On Monday, 13 April at 10 a.m. Eastern Standard Time at the [3:31:52] direction of the President, America's Joint Force began implementing a blockade against Iran under the [3:31:59] leadership of Admiral Cooper and the team at CENTCOM. Let me be clear, this blockade applies to all ships [3:32:08] ships, regardless of nationality, heading into or from Iranian ports. The U.S. action is a blockade of [3:32:18] Iran's ports and coastline, not a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Enforcement will occur inside Iran's [3:32:28] territorial seas and in international waters. In addition to this blockade, the Joint Force, [3:32:36] through operations and activities in other areas of responsibility, like the Pacific area of [3:32:43] responsibility, under the command of Admiral Paparo, will actively pursue any Iranian-flagged vessel [3:32:51] or any vessel attempting to provide material support to Iran. This includes dark fleet vessels carrying [3:33:00] Iranian oil. As most of you know, dark fleet vessels are those illicit or illegal ships evading [3:33:07] international regulations, sanctions, or insurance requirements. More than 10,000 sailors, marines, [3:33:16] and airmen, over a dozen ships and dozens of aircraft, are executing this mission. And let me walk you [3:33:23] through this operation a little bit. Please go to the first slide. First to the graphic, this is taken [3:33:30] before the blockade began. North is up. You can see the blockade line here in the center of the graphic, [3:33:37] denoted by the red dashed line. This map is a pull from our common operating picture that we use to allow [3:33:47] commanders and key leaders to see what is happening in near real time. We just grabbed screen grabs to [3:33:55] highlight the actions and activities. What is not shown is how incredibly congested this area is and the [3:34:04] incredible work that our sailors are doing to ensure that they can work in and around an incredibly busy [3:34:12] water space. What is also not depicted here is the massive, massive force of fighters, intelligence, [3:34:21] aircraft, aircraft, helicopters, and other embarked forces to include aerial refueling tankers that are [3:34:29] up overhead this blockade area. You'll note that the U.S. forces are in blue. Iranian ships are in red. [3:34:40] And as we started this blockade, there were seven ships of interest that were of concern [3:34:47] for U.S. Central Command. Through a variety of intelligence tools and with the assistance of the [3:34:55] Office of Naval Intelligence and other intelligence agencies, the force began to hunt for potential [3:35:02] interdictors at 10 a.m. Eastern Standard Time. Next slide, please. It's now 1240 Eastern Daylight Time, [3:35:12] two hours and 40 minutes into the blockade as attempted blockade runners attempt to hop the line. [3:35:20] U.S. forces began to commit. Out in front of them was a range of intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, [3:35:27] and tactical assets. And immediately these runners began to see, sense, and feel America's combat power [3:35:37] compressing upon them. The lead ship, normally a destroyer as depicted here, along with air power [3:35:44] off of the USS Abraham Lincoln Strike Group, began to move towards those ships. At each point, [3:35:54] the United States Navy will transmit a warning. A young sailor, normally on the bridge of one of [3:36:01] those destroyers, a junior officer, picks up that mic and transmits, and I quote, [3:36:06] do not attempt to breach the blockade. Vessels will be boarded for interdiction and seizure, [3:36:14] transiting to or from Iranian ports. Turn around or prepare to be boarded. If you do not comply with [3:36:23] this blockade, we will use force. And as this message is being transmitted, as I mentioned earlier, [3:36:31] those ship masters can literally see, sense, and feel the pressure around them. It's a finely tuned [3:36:37] machine, rehearsed multiple times, and executed now 13 times since the blockade has begun. Next slide, [3:36:46] please. We're now 24 hours plus into the blockade. You can see the turning around of multiple ships, [3:36:55] 12 of which stayed inside the blockade line, one of which not depicted off to the eastern side, [3:37:02] turned around before even attempting it. Any ship that would cross the blockade would result in our [3:37:09] sailors executing pre-planned tactics designed to bring the force to that ship. If need be, [3:37:16] board the ship and take her over. And that includes a series of escalated force options, [3:37:23] which could include warning shots and others. Next slide. The final graphic shows taken at 1120 [3:37:31] PM the night of 14 April. You can see that the captains of all these ships have made the wise [3:37:39] decision not to move, transit, or run this blockade. As I mentioned, so far 13 ships [3:37:47] have made the wise choice of turning around. And as we continue to hold this blockade at the order of [3:37:52] the Secretary and the President, any vessel that compares to comply with our instructions [3:37:58] will be dealt with accordingly. As of this morning, U.S. Central Command has not been required to board any [3:38:06] particular ships. And I'll remind you that we are also conducting similar maritime interdiction actions and [3:38:15] activities in the Pacific AOR against those ships that left that area before we began the blockade. [3:38:23] Before I turn it over to Admiral Cooper, I want to talk briefly today about the men and women enforcing the [3:38:29] blockade. America's sailors and Marines, and today particularly our destroyer and surface forces. [3:38:37] When we talk about an American destroyer, it's important that you and the American people [3:38:42] understand their capabilities. An Arleigh Burke-class destroyer are the backbone of the United States Navy [3:38:49] surface fleet. Over 500 feet long, they displace 9,000 tons, and it is the sports car of the United States Navy. [3:38:58] From the keel to the mast, they stand nearly 10 stories tall, and their four gas turbine engines can [3:39:06] drive the ship at 30-plus knots. These ships are armed to the teeth with surface-to-air missiles, [3:39:13] land-attack cruise missiles, anti-ship missiles, anti-submarine rockets, torpedoes, five-inch naval guns, [3:39:21] multiple electronic warfare systems, embarked helicopters, extending the reach and capability [3:39:28] of each and every one of these destroyers. But far and away, the most important weapon on board these [3:39:35] ships is the American sailor. Over 300 war fighters are the heart and soul of these warships. At sea, [3:39:43] sometimes for months, and these ships out in the CENTCOM AOR have been out there for months, [3:39:49] they operate around the clock in a constant state of readiness, always delivering for our joint force. [3:39:56] It's hot in the engine room. The engineering team keeps the lights on and the ship powered, [3:40:02] and able to respond to the orders from the bridge. [3:40:05] On that bridge, our sailors maintain a constant watch, maneuvering the ship tactically and safely [3:40:13] through always congested water space. And there is a lot out there. It is like driving a sports car [3:40:20] through a supermarket parking lot on a payday weekend with the ship that would attempt to run that blockade. [3:40:28] Down in the Combat Information Center, the CIC, the Tactical Warfare Center of the ship, [3:40:36] that is where the decisions are made. As threats appear, these young sailors are making real-time [3:40:42] decisions on how to identify these threats and handle them, and they always deliver. These ships [3:40:49] are run by the youngest sailors in our surface warfare navy. The helmsman, the sailor on the watch, [3:40:57] at the bridge, is normally just between 18 to 19 years old, and they are trusted to drive this warship [3:41:06] through that supermarket parking lot without hitting anything. The conning officer, an equally young [3:41:13] commissioned officer who's normally just a few years out of college, is the ones that are giving [3:41:19] that young helmsman the orders on where to take that American warship to execute the mission that the [3:41:26] secretary and the president has given us. These are incredibly well-trained sailors. They are led by [3:41:34] incredible leaders, salty, experienced leaders, and trusted with deep responsibility. And I'm so humbled [3:41:43] and proud of America's navy. These sailors choose to take the road less traveled to go into the historic [3:41:50] surface navy, and they deliver every single day. Finally, as I often do, I want to highlight one of [3:41:58] those surface sailors today and remember our fallen. Today we remember Ensign Robert Thompson of the U.S. [3:42:04] Laffey, who died on this day in 1945 in the Battle of Okinawa. He was killed while fighting a fire along [3:42:13] with 31 others as two Japanese kamikaze aircraft hit their ship. He passed away one week after his 22nd [3:42:21] birthday and was posthumately awarded the navy cross. We remember Ensign Thompson today and all of our [3:42:27] World War II vets who continue to give us the gift of a great example. And those surface warfare sailors who [3:42:35] are out there doing the job right now take the courage, grit, and determination that those World War II [3:42:42] vets gave us into these actions and activities that they're tasked to do every single day. Good morning, [3:42:49] ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for being here today. Last week, the President of the United States [3:42:53] directed a ceasefire that temporarily paused major combat operations in Iran. The unprecedented effort [3:43:00] by America's joint force during Operation Epic Fury set the conditions for this ceasefire. And as the [3:43:06] Secretary said, I'd like to emphasize during this pause that the United States joint force remains [3:43:13] postured and ready to resume major combat operations at literally a moment's notice. This morning, [3:43:20] I'd like to give you an update on the ongoing blockade in the CENTCOM AOR area of responsibility. [3:43:28] On Monday, 13 April at 10 a.m. Eastern Standard Time, at the direction of the President, America's joint force [3:43:36] began implementing a blockade against Iran under the leadership of Admiral Cooper and the team at CENTCOM. [3:43:44] Let me be clear, this blockade applies to all ships, regardless of nationality, heading into or from [3:43:54] Iranian ports. The U.S. action is a blockade of Iran's ports and coastline, not a blockade of the Strait of [3:44:03] Hormuz. Enforcement will occur inside Iran's territorial seas and in international waters. [3:44:13] In addition to this blockade, the joint force, through operations and activities in other areas [3:44:20] of responsibility, like the Pacific area of responsibility under the command of Admiral Paparo, [3:44:27] will actively pursue any Iranian-flagged vessel or any vessel attempting to provide material support [3:44:37] to Iran. This includes dark fleet vessels carrying Iranian oil. As most of you know, dark fleet vessels [3:44:44] are those illicit or illegal ships evading international regulations, sanctions, or insurance requirements. [3:44:53] More than 10,000 sailors, marines, and airmen, over a dozen ships and dozens of aircraft, [3:45:00] are executing this mission. And let me walk you through this operation a little bit. Please go to [3:45:06] the first slide. First to the graphic. This is taken before the blockade began. North is up. You can see the [3:45:14] blockade line here in the center of the graphic, denoted by the red dashed line. [3:45:20] This map is a pull from our common operating picture that we use to allow commanders and key leaders to [3:45:30] see what is happening in near real time. We just grabbed screen grabs to highlight the actions and [3:45:37] activities. What is not shown is how incredibly congested this area is and the incredible work that [3:45:46] our sailors are doing to ensure that they can work in and around an incredibly busy water space. What is also [3:45:56] not depicted here is the massive force of fighters, intelligence aircraft, helicopters, and other [3:46:05] embarked forces to include aerial refueling tankers that are up overhead this blockade area. [3:46:13] You'll note that U.S. forces are in blue. Iranian ships are in red. And as we started this blockade, [3:46:24] there were seven ships of interest that were of concern for U.S. Central Command. Through a variety of [3:46:32] intelligence tools and with the assistance of the Office of Naval Intelligence and other intelligence [3:46:39] agencies, the force began to hunt for potential interdictors at 10 a.m. Eastern Standard Time. [3:46:47] Next slide, please. It's now 1240 Eastern Daylight Time, two hours and 40 minutes into the blockade [3:46:56] as attempted blockade runners attempt to hop the line. U.S. forces began to commit. Out in front of them [3:47:04] was a range of intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and tactical assets. And immediately, [3:47:11] these runners began to see, sense, and feel America's combat power compressing upon them. The lead ship, [3:47:21] normally a destroyer as depicted here, along with air power off of the USS Abraham Lincoln Strike Group, [3:47:28] began to move towards those ships. At each point, the United States Navy will transmit a warning. A young [3:47:40] sailor, normally on the bridge of one of those destroyers, a junior officer, picks up that mic and [3:47:46] transmits. And I quote, do not attempt to breach the blockade. Vessels will be boarded for interdiction [3:47:54] and seizure transiting to or from Iranian ports. Turn around or prepare to be boarded. If you do not [3:48:03] comply with this blockade, we will use force. And as this message is being transmitted, as I mentioned [3:48:10] earlier, those ship masters can literally see, sense, and feel the pressure around them. It's a finely tuned [3:48:18] machine, rehearsed multiple times, and executed now 13 times since the blockade has begun. Next slide, please. [3:48:28] We're now 24 hours plus into the blockade. You can see the turning around of multiple ships, 12 of which [3:48:37] stayed inside the blockade line, one of which not depicted off to the eastern side turned around [3:48:43] before even attempting it. Any ship that would cross the blockade would result in our sailors executing [3:48:51] pre-planned tactics designed to bring the force to that ship. If need be, board the ship and take her [3:48:59] over. And that includes a series of escalated force options, which could include warning shots and others. [3:49:06] Next slide. The final graphic shows taken at 11 20 pm the night of 14 April. You can see that the [3:49:15] captain of all captains of all these ships have made the wise decision not to move, transit, or run [3:49:23] this blockade. As I mentioned, so far 13 ships have made the wise choice of turning around. And as we [3:49:31] continue to hold this blockade at the order of the Secretary and the President, any vessel that compares to [3:49:36] comply with our instructions will be dealt with accordingly. As of this morning, U.S. Central Command [3:49:44] has not been required to board any particular ships. And I'll remind you that we are also conducting [3:49:52] similar maritime interdiction actions and activities in the Pacific AOR against those ships that left that [3:50:00] area before we began the blockade. Before I turn it over to Admiral Cooper, I want to talk briefly today [3:50:08] about the men and women enforcing the blockade, America's sailors and marines, and today particularly [3:50:15] our destroyer and surface forces. When we talk about an American destroyer, it's important that you and the [3:50:22] American people understand their capabilities. An Arleigh Burke-class destroyer are the backbone of the United States Navy [3:50:29] surface fleet. Over 500 feet long, they displace 9,000 tons, and it is the sports car of the United States Navy. [3:50:39] From the keel to the mast, they stand nearly 10 stories tall, and their four gas turbine engines can [3:50:47] drive the ship at 30 plus knots. These ships are armed to the teeth with surface-to-air missiles, [3:50:54] land attack cruise missiles, anti-ship missiles, anti-submarine rockets, torpedoes, five-inch naval guns, [3:51:01] multiple electronic warfare systems, embarked helicopters, extending the reach and capability [3:51:08] of each and every one of these destroyers. But far and away, the most important weapon on board these [3:51:16] ships is the American sailor. Over 300 warfighters are the heart and soul of these warships. [3:51:23] At sea, sometimes for months, and these ships out in the CENTCOM AOR have been out there for months, [3:51:30] they operate around the clock in a constant state of readiness, always delivering for our joint force. [3:51:36] It's hot in the engine room, the engineering team keeps the lights on and the ship powered and able to respond [3:51:44] to the orders from the bridge. On that bridge, our sailors maintain a constant watch, maneuvering the [3:51:50] ship tactically and safely through always congested water space. And there is a lot out there. It is [3:51:59] like driving a sports car through a supermarket parking lot on a payday weekend with thousands of kids in [3:52:06] that parking lot. As you attempt to maneuver through.