NEWS: Hegseth And Caine Hold Pentagon Press Briefing On The Status Of The Iran War

[0:25] over the weekend, I had the opportunity to visit our troops fighting in Operation Epic Fury. We [0:33] were on the ground in CENTCOM on Saturday for about half the day. For reasons of operational [0:40] security, so those troops are not targeted, the places and bases will not be named. Suffice it to [0:49] say, the trip was an honor. I had a chance to bear witness, and I witnessed the best of America. [0:58] I witnessed warriors, a brotherhood of men and women, warriors all, active duty guard and [1:07] reserve, united in their love for each other, their shared purpose, and their commitment to [1:12] the mission. I witnessed sheer competency. I watched a private first class confidently calling [1:20] out an enemy missile trajectory to a room full of officers. Everyone focused. The room was locked in. [1:26] Two enemy missiles successfully shot down. I spoke to Air Force and Navy [1:33] pilots on the flight line, who every day both deliver bombs deep into Iran, but also shoot [1:40] down drones defending their base. Many had just returned from the skies of Iran and Tehran. I put [1:48] on a headset and spoke to one crew in the cockpit, locked and loaded each and every day. I witnessed [1:57] ingenuity, American ingenuity. I met the young army officer who figured out how to neutralize [2:02] maneuvering enemy missiles, saving countless lives. [2:06] His commander confirmed that the whoops and cheers erupted in the Tactical Operations Center when his [2:12] new approach was first successful. I met the Air Force intel analyst who refines target packages [2:18] faster than the enemy can adapt. I actually gave him my card and told him to keep me posted on the [2:25] ground truth. I did the same with his boss, a colonel with a heart the size of Texas and a [2:35] beautiful deployment mustache to match. I witnessed lethality. I met a junior airman as the [2:45] sun was going down and a chill was setting on the tarmac, who, when asked what they needed, she [2:52] simply looked up at me with a sly smile on her face and said, more bombs, sir, and bigger bombs. [3:00] We will happily oblige her. I met the army targeting team who found and sunk the pride and [3:09] joy of the Iranian Navy, their fighting position plastered with images of sunken enemy ships. [3:14] And I witnessed urgency. Right when we landed, another C-17 landed just [3:21] minutes after us. And within 30 seconds of the aircraft coming to a full stop, a team on the [3:28] ground pulled up and the cargo was being uploaded. War time, speed. To a man and to a woman on the [3:36] ground, in the air, on the flight line, and in the talk, I heard, we want everything faster, [3:43] higher op tempo, war time, speed. The feeling was the exact opposite of the [3:51] rotational units year after year in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan that we're so familiar with. [3:56] In those wars, it was always about the next rotation, never knowing when the mission would [4:01] end or exactly what the mission was, year after year, not with epic fury. I witnessed urgency to [4:10] finish the job, urgency to achieve mission success, not looking at the next rotation, [4:15] only moving as fast as possible to win. I got a chance to troop the line, to witness firsthand [4:24] what we already know is true. Spoke to all ranks and all services, none of whom knew we were coming. [4:31] Sometimes we were scripted, sometimes we just wandered. What I witnessed was motivation. It [4:37] was sheer mission focus. It was the American warrior unleashed. It was the kind of warfighting [4:45] American spirit that comes with a clear mission against a determined enemy. A crew chief we flew [4:52] with summed it up nicely. He said, it's been a busy few weeks, sir, tough stuff, but I'm so [4:58] honored to be called up. This fight is long overdue. We need to address it for our kids. [5:04] We cannot pass the buck. Please thank the president. [5:08] From us. I heard that time and time again. I asked each young American, what do you need? [5:16] And nobody said better equipment. Nobody said more comfortable living conditions. Nobody said, [5:22] send me home. Well, of course, eventually we want all those things. They do too. But what [5:29] those Americans said to me, young and old officer and NCO, male and female, black and white was, [5:37] let's finish the mission. Get us even more bombs, bigger bombs, more targets. Let us [5:44] finish this. In fact, Admiral Cooper noted this morning that the three air force captains shot [5:50] down by Kuwaiti friendly fire early in the fight weeks ago, they never left the theater. [5:56] All dropped bombs over Tehran last night. These men and women live the Iranian threat every day, [6:05] incoming missiles and drones, and know what a world looks like, what the world would look like [6:10] if Iran had the most dangerous weapons in the world, a nuclear weapon. [6:15] As president Trump has said time and time again for years. And in this [6:19] administration, Iran cannot have a nuclear bomb and they won't. These troops, they want to finish [6:25] this fight for their kids and their grandkids. This is about history. This is about legacy. [6:31] Success matters. And because of this president and these Americans, we're closer than ever before [6:39] to winning. President Trump is doing what no other president had the guts to do. Previous presidents [6:47] were all talk. He's all action. On the battlefield because of the latitude the president has given us, [6:55] American firepower is only increasing. Iran's decreasing. We have more and more options, [7:03] and they have less. Just one month in, only one month, we set the terms. The upcoming days will [7:12] be decisive. Iran knows that, and there's almost nothing they can militarily do about it. Yes, [7:18] they will still shoot some missiles, but we will shoot them down. Of note, the last 24 hours saw [7:25] the lowest number of enemy missiles and drones fired by Iran. They will go underground, but we [7:25] will fight. [7:33] We will find them. We recently destroyed another one of their command bunkers. Leaders forced to [7:39] flee. No water, no power, no oxygen, no command and control. Their faith in their caves diminishing. [7:47] The latest intel is clear out of CENTCOM. Our strikes are damaging the morale of the Iranian [7:53] military, leading to widespread desertions, key personnel shortages, and causing frustrations [7:59] amongst senior leaders. Just last night, we had 200 dynamic strikes alone. [8:07] A dynamic strike is a strike where a pilot leaves, and during their flight, they get a new target set [8:12] based on real-time intel given to them. A new launcher, a new location, a new troop formation. [8:18] A dynamic target is one that changes while you're in the air because of improved intelligence. 200 [8:23] dynamic strikes alone, in addition to the pre-planned targets. The video the president [8:29] posted last night of Esfahan, an ammo depot struck by U.S. bombers. You see, you don't get to see many [8:39] of them, but you do get to see a lot of them, and you get to see a lot of them, and you get to see a lot of them. [8:45] But if Iran is wise, they will cut a deal. President Trump doesn't bluff, and he does not back down. [8:52] You can ask Khomeini about that. The new Iranian regime should know that by now. This new regime, [9:00] because regime change has occurred, should be wiser than the last. President Trump will make [9:08] a deal he is willing, and the terms of the deal are known to them. If Iran is not willing, then [9:14] the United States War Department will continue with even, [9:18] even more intensity. Standing here this morning, in this briefing room, in my mind's eye, [9:25] I'm actually looking out at the groups I met this weekend. The pilots, the logisticians, [9:32] the intel analysts, the targeters, the sustainers, the flight crews, the air defenders, the base [9:39] security, those maintainers who we walked up at sunset with the chill in the air on the flight [9:47] line. May God watch over all of them each day and each night. May his almighty and eternal arms [9:57] of providence stretch over them and protect them and bring them peace. In the name of Jesus Christ, [10:05] and amen. Mr. Chairman, over to you. Thank you, Mr. Secretary. Good morning, [10:10] everyone, and thank you again for being here. As operations continue, I remain deeply grateful for [10:15] the service and determination of 2.8 million members of our joint force, each of whom are [10:21] serving something greater than themselves. Every day, those deployed, and in many cases, those at [10:27] home, who are deploying foreign forces, are being deployed. And I thank you for that. I thank you [10:28] for theower control. And I thank you for your dedication. I thank you for the efforts. I thank [10:37] you for all that you're giving back to the Oklahoma. We look forward, and Bomber Pulses and [10:40] others put themselves in harm's way. And we owe them a deep debt of gratitude. [10:44] I remain especially grateful for our fallen, who gave the ultimate sacrifice. We'll never [10:49] forget their valor and their determination to do something greater than themselves. And each day, [10:53] we continue to earn what they've given to us. This morning, I want to share that yesterday, the joint [10:58] That's Emil Bud Anderson, who passed away in May of 2024 at the ripe old age of 102. [11:06] He was laid to rest in Arlington Cemetery yesterday morning alongside his wife of 70 [11:11] years, Eleanor, who he married on February 23, 1945. [11:17] She passed away in 2015 at the age of 92. [11:20] Bud, yesterday a legend to our Air Force and fighter pilots everywhere, was honored with [11:25] a combination fly-by of F-35s and a four-ship of P-51 Mustangs. [11:31] He was one of the most prolific flying aces of World War II and the highest scoring P-51 [11:37] ace with 16 and a quarter kills in his squadron and in his group. [11:41] And he served from 1942 to 1972. [11:46] And his last combat tour was flying F-104 Thunder Chiefs over North Vietnam. [11:52] For anyone that had the chance to meet Colonel Anderson, you knew what an incredible man [11:56] he was. [11:58] And that's true for each and every one of our World War II vets who become fewer and [12:03] fewer with each passing day. [12:05] They are the greatest generation and give us the gift of an incredible example as we [12:11] execute Operation Epic Fury today. [12:14] And Colonel Anderson, we mourn for your loss and remember that smile on the right side [12:20] as you went out to do our nation's business. [12:23] I'd like to now share an operational update. [12:25] Colonel Anderson, thank you for joining us. [12:25] Thank you. [12:26] Our joint force continues to focus on our military objectives as we systematically continue [12:31] to degrade and destroy Iran's ability to project power and threaten stability beyond its borders. [12:38] First, the joint force continues to destroy Iran's ballistic missile and UAS capabilities. [12:44] We remain focused on interdicting and destroying the logistical and supply chains that feed [12:50] these programs. [12:52] And this remains a truly joint effort prosecuted around the clock. [12:55] clock from air, land, sea, space, and cyberspace. Long-range bombers from U.S. Strategic Command [13:02] are coordinating with tactical fighter aircraft from our joint force launched from bases around [13:07] the region and the continental United States. While simultaneously, Navy fighters from the sea [13:14] and sailors continue to project power from the sea, while Army and Marine artillery units [13:19] continue to execute long-range precision fires deep into enemy territory against high-value [13:25] targets. Meanwhile, on the defense side, our Army and Air Defenders and aviators, as the Secretary [13:31] talked about, remain vigilant, forming a shield to protect our forces and our partners intercepting [13:37] missiles and drones. Together, we continue to deliver precision strikes against key manufacturing [13:43] nodes, component storage sites, research facilities deep within Iranian territory. [13:50] And over the past 29, I'm sorry, 30 days, we've struck more than 11,000 targets. [13:55] Given the increase in air superiority, we've successfully started to conduct the first [14:02] overland B-52 missions, which allow us, as we've said before, to continue to get on top [14:08] of the enemy and, as the Secretary talked about, switch towards more and more dynamic [14:15] targets, servicing mobile targets around the battle space. [14:21] We've continued to do the work against Iran's missile, drone, and naval production facilities. [14:26] And we continue the multi-domain pressure that we've talked about. [14:30] Second, on the Navy front, we continue to assert dominance over the Iranian Navy. [14:35] We remain focused on targeting their mine lane capability, their naval assets, and we've now, [14:41] as I mentioned briefly last time, started to work attack helicopters and other close air support [14:46] assets into the naval domain. CENTCOM continues to identify and work against naval depots and storage [14:54] areas. And we've taken out, again, the military and the air defense, and we've taken out the [14:56] military and the air defense, and we've taken out, again, more than 150 ships, including all [14:59] Jamaran-class frigates inside their Navy. Third, we continue to prosecute our campaign [15:05] against our defense industrial base at scale. This includes factories, warehouses, nuclear weapons, [15:11] research and development labs, and the associated infrastructure required for Iran to reconstitute [15:18] its combat capability. I'd like to continue my theme of highlighting the incredible contributions, [15:26] and I'd like to continue my theme of highlighting the incredible contributions, [15:26] of Americans to our joint force. Today, I want to talk a little bit about a different front line, [15:32] a line that doesn't have bunkers or guard posts, but is just as critical to our nation's security, [15:38] our national assembly lines. Today, I want to recognize a group of Americans who live at the [15:44] beginning of our nation's combat power, the Americans who actually make our weapons, [15:49] both inside our defense industrial base, but even more broadly inside our national industrial base. [15:56] In every military option, we could not and cannot do our jobs without the men and women across our [16:03] country who show up every day around the clock to a factory floor, a workshop, a laboratory, [16:11] who build the weapons and capabilities we need to project American combat power at the time [16:17] and place of our choosing. These great Americans, and I've had a chance to spend some time with them [16:23] when I was in the private sector, are the core of American combat power. They are the core of American [16:26] military power, and they are the core of American combat power. They are the core of American combat power. [16:26] They are the core of American combat power. They are the machinists running high-tech CNC machines, [16:30] cutting raw blocks of metal into incredibly precise parts. They are the assembly workers [16:36] painstakingly taking a kit of parts and turning that into a complex guidance system or precision [16:43] munition or a rocket motor or building a jet or submarine. Or they are the quality assurance [16:49] technicians who ensure that when a warfighter pulls a trigger, the weapon works every day. [16:56] They are the quality assurance technicians who ensure that when a warfighter pulls a trigger, the weapon works every day. [16:57] This can be and is tough and gritty work. It's not a quiet office and a desk with paper, [17:04] and there's nothing wrong with that, but this is exactly the way this group of Americans likes it. [17:09] I know this. I've seen it myself, and I remain deeply honored by that gift. [17:14] It's often loud and dangerous work, demanding, and requires absolute focus for hours at a time [17:21] with deep commitment to get it right every single time. It's hands-on work, [17:26] where one uncaught mistake or deviation can put an American's life at risk. [17:32] A single misplaced wire, a microscopic flaw in a weld, incorrectly calibrated sensor could [17:39] mean the difference between mission success or mission failure. The difference is measured in [17:44] the lives of our sons and daughters who we put out around the field and on the field of battle. [17:50] We rely on and trust in these great Americans, and it's not just their manufacturing skill, [17:56] it's their innovative mind and the entrepreneurial spirit. [18:00] From those who build exquisite capabilities down to the mom and pop machine shops [18:06] all over this great country, they live at the beginning of and the core of America's [18:12] combat capability. Constantly adapting, constantly improving, constantly learning. [18:18] There are examples of this throughout history and current [18:23] days, to include building things like the F-117 stealth restaurants, [18:26] fighter, the B-2 stealth bomber, making our combat capability undetectable over [18:32] the enemy to today's B-21 and F-47. It's work like in the shipyards of the east [18:39] coast and northeast side of the United States that go out and build America's [18:43] nuclear submarines that allow us to patrol around the world at the time and [18:49] place of our choosing. These innovators, these workers, these incredible Americans [18:54] don't get the same glory as a fighter pilot returning to a carrier deck at [18:58] night or an artilleryman sending rounds downrange and yet they show up every [19:04] single day and without them we could not do the work that we are tasked to do. [19:09] 24-7 they build the tools that we need to do our business. The skill, the [19:15] commitment, the patriotism, the dedication poured into every piece of combat [19:21] capability and hardware is [19:24] CCD. [19:24] We've seen and felt out at the edge of the of the force as the secretary talked [19:29] about those young bomb builders out in the desert that he had the chance to see. [19:34] You can see it, you can feel it and it's real and we're deeply grateful. So to the [19:40] American workforce out there both inside our defense industrial base and in our [19:45] national industrial base, thank you on behalf of the joint force. We carry the [19:50] weapons that you build. We rely on the systems that you create. [19:54] And the distance from that factory floor and that assembly line to the front line [20:00] is incredibly short. Thank you. Keep it up. And to our adversaries out there, I [20:05] remind you to beware of the American workforce. We continue to press forward [20:11] in our military objectives. The secretary and I remain deeply humbled by the [20:15] spirit, tenacity, commitment, and grit of our 2.8 million member strong joint [20:21] force. I want to as always thank the force. [20:24] And their families and as always remember our fallen. We carry with them [20:28] and their names every day. Sir I'll turn it back over to you. [20:32] Well thank you Mr. Chairman. Two things. He didn't note it but in memory of [20:35] Colonel Bud Anderson, the chairman himself flew his f-16 to honor him [20:40] recently. And thank you for highlighting the defense industrial base, the arsenal [20:43] of freedom. It's worth noting no one has rebuilt that defense industrial base [20:47] faster and with more purpose than President Trump in his first term and [20:51] now. We're rebuilding the arsenal of freedom. Our defense [20:54] industrial base is more vibrant today than it's been since World War II and [20:58] growing rapidly. Contrast that with Iran whose defense industrial base is nearly [21:04] completely destroyed. Their ability to reconstitute the weapons of war they're [21:08] using now that they're hiding in underground facilities and attriting [21:11] over time, their ability to rebuild that is negligible. And I think that contrast [21:17] is an enduring legacy of this as well. Right here. We've had some signaling that [21:23] the U.S. will retake control of the [21:26] administrative Hormuz. At that point what military posture will be imposed to [21:30] guarantee safe passage for our allies, deter our enemies, and demonstrate U.S. [21:36] dominance in the region? And also can you speak to how much America's [21:41] adversaries, Russia, China, North Korea, how much they're supporting Iran's war [21:46] machine at this point with arms and intelligence and what we are militarily [21:51] doing to punish the enemy coalition? Appreciate both questions. [21:56] On the Strait of Hormuz, there are many more vessels flowing through today than [22:00] there were as the President has arranged. The President's been clear to Iran open [22:04] it for business or we have options and we certainly do. And when you look at what [22:08] the Chairman laid out with the Navy, with the Navy industrial base, with coastal [22:11] cruise missiles, with UAVs, with countermine capabilities, we've been [22:15] focused from the beginning on attriting and defeating those capabilities and [22:18] limiting their options. There's lots we're doing as well, some of which is [22:23] known, some of which is not known, to set the conditions. And I think the U.S. is [22:26] doing a good job of that. And I think the President was clear this morning in his [22:30] truth that there are countries around the world who ought be prepared to step [22:36] up on this critical waterway as well. It's not just the United States Navy. [22:40] Last time I checked, there was supposed to be a big bad Royal Navy that could be [22:44] prepared to do things like that as well. So he's pointing out this is an [22:47] international waterway that we use less than most, in fact, dramatically less [22:50] than most. So the world ought pay attention to be prepared to stand up. [22:54] President Trump's been willing to do the heavy lifting on behalf of the free [22:56] world to address this threat of Iran. [22:58] President Trump's been willing to do the heavy lifting on behalf of the free [23:00] world to address this threat of Iran. President Trump's been willing to do the [23:03] heavy lifting on behalf of the free world to address this threat of Iran. [23:04] And we've done that. We've done our problem set going forward, even though we [23:08] have done the lion's share of preparation to ensure that that [23:11] strait will be open, which is an outcome the President has been very clear on. [23:16] As far as Russia and China, we know exactly what they're doing, what they are [23:19] or are not doing. We don't have to air publicly what all of that is. [23:23] But where necessary, we're addressing it, we're mitigating it, or we're [23:27] confronting it head on. I don't know if you have anything you [23:29] want to add. No, sir. [23:29] No, sir. Thank you very much for that. [23:33] Thank you very much for the American's voice. [23:36] And I witnessed that enthusiasm on the lines and our submarine builders and [23:40] it's unbelievable. But I just wanted to ask you, what's the [23:43] status of the delivery of any hardened bunkers for additional protection for our [23:49] troops? And without getting too specific, what [23:51] kind of measures are we taking to protect some of the larger, more strategic [23:56] aircraft, like the sentry and other? Well, it's a great question. [23:59] a completely locked-in discipline of bunker use and bunker improvement. So from the beginning, [24:08] as we stated very clearly, the first thing we did was set up a defense and make sure our defensive [24:12] capabilities were maxed out before any of this even started. That included fortifications as [24:17] much as possible, but it also included disbursement. If all of our people are in one place, you could [24:23] imagine why that's a big problem. So dispersing is part of that defeat. Alongside that disbursement [24:28] is more and more bunkers. And I can tell you, talking to base commanders, talking to our allies [24:34] in Israel, talking to others, rapidly fielding that and then improving those positions is a [24:39] theater of priority, no doubt, as are the air defenses and the layered air defenses. It's not [24:43] just patriots and fads. It's fighters and defensive caps. It's other kinetic defeat systems. It's [24:49] electronic warfare. So the defense of our troops and our assets is maxed. I will say on some of [24:55] those other assets, you talked about air wings. [24:58] There's some things adversaries are doing to provide info and intel that they shouldn't. We're [25:04] aware of it. And ultimately, we move things around and don't. One of the biggest principles you learn [25:10] in the military is to not set patterns, predictable patterns. And so we're, commanders are working [25:16] hard to adjust in real time with those systems and make sure they're in the right places and not [25:20] easily targetable. Jillian. Thanks, Mr. Secretary. The U.S. and Iran appear right now publicly to [25:27] disagree about whether there are these [25:29] negotiations ongoing. What impact does that have on military strategy? Does it have any bearing at all? [25:37] And General, the president wrote yesterday that the U.S. might destroy Iran's electricity, generating plants and oil [25:46] wells. Those are his words before ending this operation. Is there a way to do either of those things without, like, [25:54] seriously jeopardizing or seriously harming civilians? [26:01] I can tell you, having been with Steve and Jared and the vice president and Marco and many others yesterday, they are very real. [26:09] They are ongoing. They're active. And I think gaining strength. And we appreciate that. As I said in my remarks, we would much prefer to get a deal. [26:18] If Iran was willing to relinquish material they have and ambitions they have, openness, great. That's the goal. [26:25] We don't want to have to do more militarily than we have to. But I didn't mean it flippantly when I said, in the meantime, we'll [26:31] negotiate with bombs. Our job is to ensure that we compel Iran to realize that this new regime, this regime in charge, is in a better place if they make [26:40] that deal. And so we'll continue. We're working hand in hand. But the primary effort is a deal. We want that deal to be accomplished, if at all [26:47] possible. If not, then we're prepared to continue. [26:50] What happened at Mosad, Mr. Chairman? [26:53] Yeah. Thanks for the question. We're always thinking about those considerations and develop options to be able to mitigate those [27:02] risks pursuant to the normal practices that we do in the military. [27:07] Thank you, Mr. Secretary. I know you slightly addressed this already, but just on the Strait of Hormuz, is opening the strait an essential objective to [27:15] Operation Epic Fury? Or is that the job of those other countries? And then secondly, without asking you to comment on things that you can't talk [27:23] about, what is your message to Americans who love the president and strongly believe in him, but are very worried about this notion of boots on the [27:31] ground? [27:32] Well, first on the Strait of Hormuz, our core objectives from this podium, from day one, from me, from the chairman, from the president, from the vice [27:41] president, from Secretary Rubio and others have been clear. Defense missile production and missile programs, so their entire missile program, defense [27:51] industrial base and production ability to build, and Navy and power projection. And then, of course, wrapping it all is Iran's never going to have a nuclear [27:59] weapon. So those have been very clear. Defeating the Navy is a core part of ensuring they can't project that kind of power. [28:03] But ultimately, I think the president's truth this morning lays that out very well, that this Strait of Hormuz issue, which we've set the conditions for success, and we [28:13] will make sure Iran knows that very clearly, is not just a United States of America problem-set. We've been willing to lead, President Trump has led the entire time, but [28:23] it's not just us. So ultimately, I think other countries should pay attention when the president speaks. He's proven that when he speaks, he means something, and he's [28:30] pointing out, you know, might want to start talking about the launch of the nuclear weapons program, and what the president is going to do to toughen the [28:33] learning how to fight for yourself. It's something some of us have been saying for quite some time. [28:38] You can't just have flags. You have to have formations. You can't just have a few ships. [28:43] You have enough to affect change. Those things matter in a dangerous world with ascendant [28:47] adversaries. That's why the president, that's why the chairman's talking about our industrial base. [28:51] That's why we're launching the Arsenal of Freedom Tour to revive our defense industrial base. [28:55] President Trump doing it in a way that nobody else has. As far as President Trump and boots on [29:01] the ground, I don't understand why the base, which they have already, they understand wouldn't [29:06] have faith in his ability to execute on this. Look at his track record of pursuing peace through [29:12] strength, America first outcomes. What he's simply saying, and it's exactly true, and I've said from [29:17] this podium too, we're not going to foreclose any option. You can't fight and win a war if you tell [29:24] your adversary what you are willing to do or what you are not willing to do to include boots on the [29:28] ground. Our adversary right now thinks, [29:31] there are 15 different ways we could come at them with boots on the ground. And guess what? [29:35] There are. So if we needed to, we could execute those options on behalf of the president of the [29:40] United States and this department. Or maybe we don't have to use them at all. Maybe negotiations [29:45] work, or maybe there's a different approach. The point is to be unpredictable in that. Certainly [29:50] not let anybody know what you're willing to do or not do. But if anybody has internalized the [29:55] lessons of Iraq and Afghanistan as the first one, President Trump, to call them out for what they [30:00] are, he's not going to repeat them. [30:01] He's not going to repeat those lessons. And I think I've been very clear about that from the podium. [30:05] Thank you, Secretary Hexeth. A question for you and then a question for General Cain. [30:10] You said we're a month into Operation Epic Fury. How long until the objectives are achieved? [30:15] And is there a scenario where a deal is struck before the objectives have been achieved? [30:20] And then for General Cain, there's been lots of media coverage that suggested a ground [30:25] invasion is imminent. What other purposes might the soldiers and the marines who have [30:30] been deployed over the course of the war have? [30:31] Well, just like the previous question, it's sort of military 101. Don't tell your enemy what you're [30:42] willing to do or not do. And don't tell your enemy when you're willing to stop, especially an enemy [30:47] that likes to hide in bunkers and try to hoard their missiles and hope he'll wait you out. [30:51] So that's not a question I'm going to answer or the president has said definitively. We have our [30:56] own goals and guidance and things were military objectives that we're moving toward and things [31:00] that we look at. And as he's articulated, you know, he said, we're going to do what we're [31:04] willing to do. And he said, four to six weeks, six to eight weeks, three. It could be any [31:08] particular number, but we would never reveal precisely what it is because our goal is to [31:13] finish those objectives. And we're well on our way. And the chairman and I look at this every [31:17] single day. It will be the president's determination and the president's determination alone when [31:22] those objectives are complete and when it serves the interest of the American people to cut that [31:27] deal, to make sure that Iran doesn't have a nuclear capability and ultimately that our [31:34] interests are advanced. I don't know if you want to add anything. [31:37] No, just to answer your question, Reagan, you know, the range of military options that those [31:42] forces can offer are extensive, not just limited to what you mentioned in terms of forces on the [31:49] ground. And I wouldn't want to take away the president's decision space, but there are a [31:54] multitude of things, not the least of which is Iran should note that they're out there and that [31:59] they are a pressure point. And so they should carry on. [32:04] I would carefully consider, I think, at the diplomatic level, not my job as a chairman, but at the [32:09] diplomatic level to consider what's in front of them. [32:11] Jerry. [32:14] Okay. [32:15] Mr. Secretary, the U.S. government, I see, says for many years that Iran is protecting al-Qaeda [32:22] senior leaders, including the current Amir Saif al-Adel. Does the U.S. assess that he's still in [32:30] Iran as he fled to Afghanistan? [32:32] Is he on a... [32:34] Mr. Secretary, I think the U.S. is on a different target list. And Mr. Chairman, based on CENTCOM [32:39] figures and open source, Iranian daily missile barrages and drone launches have indeed dropped [32:47] dramatically since the start of the war, but they're not at zero. And they seem to have maintained [32:53] some level of low but stable numbers. Perhaps they've dropped a little bit more in recent days. [33:01] How do we get that closer to zero? [33:05] And what impact is Iran's degraded but still very real capability impacting current and future operations? [33:14] So I won't speak to a particular target. I'll just say that al-Qaeda remains our enemy, obviously. [33:19] And there are a lot of people on our target list in Iran. And if they were to be harboring al-Qaeda, they [33:25] would certainly fit that list. [33:27] Just quickly, you know, the mobile targets that they have that we continue to service, as the secretary talked about, the 200 [33:36] that were done last night, that's one component of continuing to lower that. The second and more long-term impact [33:43] that we're having is the strikes against their defense industrial base at scale, which will not allow them to reload after that. [33:51] So we do continue to see a trend down. They are still shooting, and we do continue to exert significant pressure against both sides of that system. [33:59] Mr. Secretary, thank you for the question. Do you still believe, you'd said previously, that the Iranian leadership would surrender? [34:06] Do you still believe that? And is the United States still committed to NATO's collective defense? [34:12] And to Chairman King, could you give us a sense of your thinking about the legality of striking desalinization plans if the president were to order that? [34:22] I would just say that any mission that ends on our terms, call it a surrender, call it a defeat, call it what you want. [34:29] We remain committed to a conflict that ends on our terms and the president's terms. There's no doubt about that. [34:35] And as far as NATO is concerned, that's a decision that will be left to the president. [34:38] But I'll just say a lot has been laid bare. A lot has been shown to the world about what our allies would be willing to do for the United States of America [34:48] when we undertake an effort of this scope on behalf of the free world. [34:52] These are missiles that don't even range the United States of America. They range allies and others. [34:57] And yet when we ask for additional assistance or simple access basing and overflight, we get questions or roadblocks or hesitations. [35:07] And the president's pointing out, you don't have much. You don't have much. You don't have much. You don't have much. You don't have much. [35:08] You don't have much. You don't have much. You don't have much. You don't have much. [35:09] You do have much of an alliance if you have countries that are not willing to stand with you when you need them. [35:14] He's simply pointing that out and ultimately it'll be his decision of what that looks like after this is complete. [35:19] I'll just, I won't talk about any particular target. This really builds on Jillian's question too that I don't think I completely answered. [35:26] But, you know, the joint force is the most professional force in the world. [35:30] And we have numerous processes and systems to carefully consider the whole range of considerations from civilian risk to legal considerations [35:38] with any target. And as targets come before us, we run them through the same [35:44] process that we always do and always strike lawful targets in accordance with [35:49] the normal procedures that we use. [35:51] Chairman, can you believe no order, no mercy for enemy combatants, as Vice President said? [35:56] Thank you, Mr. Secretary. Thank you, I appreciate it. On Sunday, President Trump said that Iran's first regime was all destroyed and the second one is mostly dead. [36:06] The third regime that we're on right now has been much more reasonable in negotiations. Do you agree with that assessment and why? [36:13] I would defer to the negotiating team there. They're the ones talking to them, but they're getting a back and forth on terms, which is a productive development. [36:20] We stand right there next to our negotiating team, always willing and prepared to put them in an even better position. [36:28] Thank you very much.