Pentagon holds press briefing on the Iran ceasefire — NBC News

[2:32] potentially major inflection point. [2:34] And so we expect them to tout some of the gains that they made against Iran, struck [2:43] something like 13,000 targets, 155 vessels, I think they at last count, they said that [2:49] they sank. [2:50] A lot of these are very conventional kinds of targets. [2:53] I think the kind of subtext, the underlying question still remains, you know, how if this [2:59] ceasefire holds, if Iran can control its proxies and other militias that potentially are very [3:08] angry right now and could lash out. [3:11] But I expect them to talk a lot about what they've been able to accomplish in the last [3:16] 40 or some days, and we'll go from there and see. [3:20] Yeah. [3:21] How about what's happened in the last 40 or so hours? [3:23] Colonel Warren, I'm going to pull you in here. [3:25] At one point, this administration was threatening the end of an entire civilization. [3:29] Then about 12 hours ago, we learned that there's this tentative ceasefire deal, but it feels [3:34] like it's rife with conflictions, things the United States said it would not capitulate [3:38] on, whether that's highly enriched uranium or sanctions or moving troops out of the region, [3:44] which was something apparently in the Iranian interpretation of this 10-point plan. [3:48] What are you listening for to try to learn more about the state of the ceasefire? [3:52] It's so much, right? [3:53] I mean, there does seem to be a lot of conflicts. [3:55] The first thing that I'm listening for, quite frankly, is what are our troops doing today? [4:00] And presumably, General Cain, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs, will give us some indications. [4:04] Is he moving ships somewhere else? [4:05] Is he moving troops somewhere else? [4:07] What exactly is he planning on doing immediately? [4:09] The second thing we're looking for, probably from the secretary of defense or war, is what [4:15] do we see the enemy doing, right? [4:17] Have they truly stopped doing all of their rocket attacks? [4:20] Have they opened up the straits, et cetera? [4:22] So that's the type of stuff that we need to look for today. [4:25] I would also add, the Strait of Hormuz was not under Iran's specific autonomy prior to [4:30] this invasion, right? [4:31] And yet it almost sounds like it might be now. [4:35] How key is that in this conversation? [4:36] Well, it's got to be very critical, and the president has made the Strait of Hormuz sort [4:40] of one of the key points of this entire conflict. [4:43] So if we allow the Iranians to continue controlling it, it may not work out. [4:46] Excellent point, Colonel Warren. [4:47] Let's listen in now. [4:48] Pete Hegseth there and Dan Kane, we're going to take a listen. [4:58] Iran has been a threat to the United States and the free world for 47 years. [5:05] Chance of death to America targeting our people, killing Americans, lying and blackmailing their [5:10] way toward a nuclear weapon, so they thought. [5:13] No longer. [5:15] Not on our watch. [5:17] Other presidents marked time and kicked the can down the road. [5:22] President Trump made history. [5:25] From the strike that took out Qasem Soleimani, to tearing up the disastrous Obama-Iran deal, [5:32] to the precision campaign that obliterated Iran's nuclear sites in Operation Midnight Hammer, [5:37] to the decisive military victory we just achieved in Operation Epic Fury. [5:43] No other president has shown the courage and resolve of this commander-in-chief. [5:49] President Trump forged this moment. [5:52] Iran begged for this ceasefire, and we all know it. [5:57] As a president truth this morning, a big day for world peace. [6:01] Iran wants it to happen. [6:03] They've had enough. [6:07] Iran, Epic Fury was a historic and overwhelming victory on the battlefield. [6:13] A capital-V military victory. [6:18] By any measure, Epic Fury decimated Iran's military and rendered it combat ineffective for [6:24] years to come. [6:27] You see, in less than 40 days, one of our combatant commands, Central Command, CENTCOM, using less [6:34] than 10% of America's total combat power, dismantled one of the world's largest militaries. [6:41] The world's leading state sponsor of terrorism proved utterly incapable of defending itself, [6:48] its people, or its territory. [6:51] We untied just a fraction of our strength, and Iran suffered a devastating military defeat. [6:59] Together with our Israeli partners, America's military achieved every single objective, on [7:05] plan, on schedule, exactly as laid out from day one. [7:11] Iran's Navy is at the bottom of the sea, whether it's the Soleimani class, their frigate class, [7:16] their prized drone aircraft carriers, submarines, mine layers, sunk. [7:24] Iran's Air Force has been wiped out. [7:27] Iran no longer has an air defense, any sort of a comprehensive air defense system. [7:32] We own their skies. [7:35] Their missile program is functionally destroyed. [7:38] Launchers, production facilities, and existing stockpiles depleted and decimated. [7:44] And almost completely ineffective, Iran shot hundreds and hundreds of missiles and attack, [7:49] one-way attack drones, at our aircraft carrier. [7:52] They were obsessed with it, and they never got even close. [7:57] Every single one of those shots easily shot down miles and miles away from the Abe Lincoln. [8:03] They were blowing ammo into fantasy land. [8:08] To contrast that with most significantly, in last night's wave of more than 800 strikes, [8:15] we finished completely destroying Iran's defense industrial base, a core pillar of our mission [8:22] objective. [8:24] What little they have left, buried in bunkers, is all they will have. [8:30] They can still shoot. [8:31] We know that. [8:32] Their command and control is so decimated, they can't really talk and coordinate. [8:35] So they still may shoot here and there, but that would be very, very unwise. [8:41] But they can no longer build missiles, build rockets, build launchers, or build UAVs. [8:47] Their factories have been razed to the ground, set back in historic fashion. [8:55] You see, had Iran refused our terms, the next targets would have been their power plants, [9:01] their bridges, and oil and energy infrastructure. [9:04] These targets they could not defend and could not realistically rebuild. [9:09] It would have taken them decades, and we were locked and loaded. [9:14] They couldn't defend against it. [9:16] President Trump had the power to cripple Iran's entire economy in minutes, but he chose mercy. [9:25] He spared those targets because Iran accepted the ceasefire under overwhelming pressure. [9:32] The new Iranian regime understood that a deal was far better than the fate that awaited them. [9:39] This new regime just happened to look at what happened to their predecessors. [9:43] Their top leadership was systematically eliminated. [9:48] The previous Iranian Supreme Leader, dead. [9:52] The Supreme National Security Council Secretary, dead. [9:57] The Supreme Leader Office Advisor, dead. [10:00] The Supreme Leader Military Office Chief, dead. [10:05] The Defense Minister, no longer with us. [10:08] The IRGC Commander, dead. [10:11] The Armed Forces General Staff Commander, dead. [10:15] The Intelligence Minister, dead. [10:18] The IRGC Navy Commander, no longer here. [10:22] The IRGC Intel Chief, dead. [10:26] I skipped over a bunch, and I could go on and on and on, to include the new so-called [10:32] new Supreme Leader, wounded and disfigured. [10:36] This new regime was out of options and out of time, so they cut a deal. [10:42] They know this agreement means that they will never, ever possess a nuclear weapon. [10:48] Under the terms, any nuclear material they should have will be removed. [10:55] Any material, excuse me, they should not have will be removed. [10:58] Right now, their dust is deeply buried and watched 24-7 overhead. [11:03] The President has been clear from the beginning there will be no Iranian nuclear weapons. [11:07] Period. [11:09] Full stop. [11:10] Other Presidents said it. [11:12] President Trump did it. [11:16] Operation Epic Fury, less than six weeks, clear mission, decisive action, overwhelming firepower, [11:23] America first, a historic battlefield victory. [11:28] For decades, Iran killed Americans with roadside bombs in Iraq, using cowardly proxies to do their [11:35] dirty work while they hid safely in Tehran. [11:39] They struck our embassies with car bombs and attacked from the shadows, never daring to face [11:44] us toe-to-toe. [11:46] They thought they could bleed America with impunity. [11:49] Well, they just learned the hard way what happens when you try to fight us directly. [11:55] And even when they got lucky, one time in 40 days, and down two of our pilots, they couldn't [12:01] hold them. [12:03] In a daring 14-hour rescue operation, seven hours in daylight and seven hours of night, [12:10] both pilots were recovered safely. [12:13] Not once, but twice. [12:16] A daylight thunder run right up the middle of their country, boots on the ground. [12:25] Zero American casualties. [12:35] The Iranians humiliated and demoralized. [12:38] We control their fate, not the other way around. [12:42] That's why they came to the table. [12:46] Iran's defeat is America's retribution for every American lost to Iranian terror, especially [12:52] those brave troops killed by Iranian-made roadside bombs in Iraq that my generation knows [12:57] so well, and for the suffering their regime has inflicted around the world. [13:03] Now we have a chance at real peace and a real deal. [13:07] The War Department, for now, for now, has done its part. [13:12] We stand ready in the background to ensure Iran upholds every reasonable term. [13:18] And as everyone knows, nobody makes a better deal than President Trump. [13:24] To the warriors of epic fury, I say well done. [13:27] You're the backbone of our country. [13:30] Your skill, your bravery, and sheer guts and grit showed the world what America is all about. [13:36] I'm proud of you. [13:38] We're proud of you. [13:39] The President is proud of you. [13:41] Job well done. [13:43] But stay vigilant and stay ready. [13:47] To the families of our fallen, your sacrifice was in service of a historic cause. [13:52] And we will always remember your heroes, our heroes. [13:56] We will continue to honor them. [13:58] And to our Israeli allies, thank you for being a brave, capable, and willing ally on this [14:04] battlefield. [14:06] The rest of the world and the rest of our so-called allies saw what real capabilities [14:10] look like. [14:11] They should take some notes. [14:14] Our troops, our American warriors, deserve the credit for this day. [14:20] But God deserves all the glory. [14:23] Tens of thousands of sorties, refuelings, and strikes carried out under the protection [14:28] of divine providence, a massive effort with miraculous protection. [14:35] Dude 44 Bravo spoke for all of us. [14:39] God is good. [14:43] The Chairman will now provide an even deeper military detail on the historic success of [14:48] Operation Epic Fury. [14:49] Mr. Chairman. [14:50] Thank you, Mr. Secretary, and good morning, ladies and gentlemen. [14:53] Thanks for being here. [14:54] I want to start this morning by honoring the 13 members of our American Joint Force who were [14:59] killed in action thus far during this operation. [15:02] Their sacrifice and that of their families is deeply important to us, and we are grateful [15:09] for each of them and will continue to mourn their loss. [15:12] Their names and their bravery will never be forgotten. [15:16] On February 28th, the President of the United States ordered the Joint Force to execute Operation [15:21] Epic Fury with the direction to accomplish three distinct military objectives. [15:28] Destroy Iran's ballistic missile and drone capabilities, destroy the Iranian Navy, and destroy their [15:34] defense industrial base to ensure that Iran cannot reconstitute the ability to project [15:40] power outside their borders. [15:42] Over the course of 38 days of major combat operation, the Joint Force achieved the military [15:47] objectives as defined by the President. [15:50] We welcome the ongoing ceasefire. [15:53] And as the Secretary said, we hope that Iran chooses a lasting peace. [15:57] But as Secretary Hegseth said, let us be clear, a ceasefire is a pause, and the Joint Force [16:03] remains ready, if ordered or called upon, to resume combat operations with the same speed [16:10] and precision as we've demonstrated over the last 38 days, and we hope that that is not [16:15] the case. [16:16] I want to congratulate and thank the leadership today at U.S. Central Command, including the [16:21] Commander Admiral Brad Cooper, the Deputy Commander Lieutenant General Kevin Leahy, the Senior [16:27] Enlisted Leader Fleet Master Chief Compton, and every one of the component commanders, senior [16:33] enlisted leaders, and especially the staff down at U.S. Central Command, who does not get [16:39] called out for any of the credit, but grinds 24-7 to help offer the options that we bring to [16:45] the Secretary and the President. [16:47] I also want to highlight the forces in the United States European Command under the command [16:51] of Alexis Grinkowicz, who protected the western flank in support of CENTCOM. [16:57] And I want to thank our partners across the intelligence community. [17:01] Our ability to see and understand what an adversary is doing help us to be as decisive as we must [17:09] be on the battlefield, and that includes DIA, NSA, NGA, the CIA, and the National Reconnaissance [17:17] Office, and others. [17:19] I want to thank the other combat commands who have thus far contributed along the way to [17:24] U.S. Central Command. [17:25] This includes Transcom, Stratcom, Spacecom, SOCOM, and Cybercom, all of whom poured all in [17:34] in support of CENTCOM's efforts. [17:37] And I want to thank, as the Secretary did, our Gulf partners who fought alongside each [17:42] and every one of us every day. [17:45] From the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, and Jordan, all who [17:50] joined us together to defend and protect our people and our assets, and who, if required, [17:58] stand ready to do so again. [18:00] And I want to thank my team at the Joint Staff, who work literally around the clock in order [18:06] to help me offer the options that I must with the associated risks to the Secretary and to [18:12] the President. [18:14] They are the hardest working people that I know, and I am deeply grateful for their service. [18:20] Most importantly today, I want to thank America's members of the Joint Force, who've poured everything [18:26] that they can into Operation Epic Fury, and their families who've worked 24 hours a day [18:33] for 38 days. [18:35] The Secretary and I could not be more proud of each and every one of you. [18:39] And we deeply appreciate the support of the American people, who we know always have us [18:46] in our thoughts and prayers. [18:48] And we can feel this literally every single day. [18:53] As the Secretary said, the United States has devastated the regime's ability to harm Americans [18:58] and our interests for years to come. [19:00] Since the beginning of major combat operations, the United States Joint Force has struck more [19:05] than 13,000 targets, including in that 13,000, more than 4,000 dynamic targets that popped [19:12] up on the battlefield and were immediately addressed, thanks to the exceptional command and control system [19:18] and intelligence, acumen, and agility of our Joint Force. [19:23] CENTCOM forces destroyed approximately 80 percent of Iran's air defense systems, striking more than 1,500 [19:29] air defense targets, more than 450 ballistic missile storage facilities, 800 one-way attack drones [19:36] storage facilities. [19:38] All of these systems are gone. [19:40] We've devastated Iran's command and control and logistical networks, destroying more than 2,000 command [19:46] and control nodes and degrading their ability to target U.S. and friendly forces. [19:53] It is, and we know this, incredibly frustrating right now to be a lower-level Iranian commander [19:59] trying to fight your fight. [20:01] As the Secretary said, the Iranian Navy now lies mostly at the bottom of the Arabian Gulf, [20:07] and we assess that we've sunk more than 90 percent of their regular fleet, including [20:11] all of the major surface combatants, as the Secretary said. [20:15] 150 ships are at the bottom of the ocean, and half of the IRGC Navy's small attack boats. [20:22] Joint fires projected from the land, sea, and air executed more than 700 strikes against [20:29] naval mine targets, and we assess that we destroyed more than 95 percent of their naval mines. [20:36] And perhaps most importantly, we've destroyed Iran's defense industrial base. [20:42] Their ability to reconstitute those capabilities for years to come. [20:47] We attacked, along with our partners, approximately 90 percent of their weapons factories. [20:52] Every factory that produced Shaheed one-way attack drones was struck. [20:57] Every factory that produces the guidance systems that go into those drones was struck. [21:02] Their missile defense industrial base is shattered with more than 80 percent of their missile facilities [21:08] gone, as well as their solid rocket motor production capability. [21:13] It will take years for Iran to rebuild any major surface combatants, as more than 20 naval production [21:20] and fabrication facilities have been damaged or destroyed. [21:24] And nearly 80 percent of Iran's nuclear industrial base was hit, further degrading their attempts [21:31] to attain a nuclear weapon. [21:34] Throughout Operation Epic Fury, our Joint Force struck at the heart of Iran's ability to project [21:40] power and threaten the United States and the region. [21:44] And in order to do this, it required the service and sacrifice of more than 50,000 American warfighters [21:52] deployed across CENTCOM, EUCOM, and Stateside. [21:56] The Joint Force flew more than 10,000 missions, including 62 bomber missions, 18 of which flew [22:03] round trip from the United States to deliver bombs on military targets. [22:11] Each of these missions was more than 30 hours in duration, and we did that 18 times. [22:18] No other military in the world can do that. [22:21] And it's a testament to the logistical force that quietly serves behind them. [22:26] I cannot thank TRANSCOM and the Air Force Tanker and Mobility Force more. [22:33] Combined with Army and Navy Joint Fires, we stuck more than 13,000 targets. [22:38] And along with our Gulf partners, we've thus far intercepted 1,700 ballistic missiles and [22:44] one-way attack drones, defending our forces and our partners in the civilian population. [22:49] And we remain ready to do so, should the need arise. [22:55] Along the way, we consume more than 6 million meals, and by my estimate more than 950,000 gallons [23:03] of coffee, 2 million energy drinks, and a lot of nicotine, but I am not saying that we have [23:09] a problem. [23:11] I've laid out the statistics, but it does not truly capture the nature of combat. [23:18] This is gritty and unforgiving business. [23:21] It's chaotic, it's hot, it's dark, it's unpredictable, and there's always unknowns. [23:28] And our people proudly walked into those unknowns and continue forward. [23:33] And through it all, the Joint Force has demonstrated the unwavering resolve that the nation demands [23:39] of us. [23:40] We are a mission-focused force, and our objective always is to create the conditions for peace, [23:47] and today we have, while be ready should that peace break, which we hope it is not. [23:53] And we remain ready. [23:55] Before I turn it back to the Secretary, I also want to quickly revisit the rescue of the Air [24:00] Force fighter crew over the weekend. [24:03] To give you an update, we've had, the Secretary and I have had the profound honor of speaking [24:07] directly with many of the warfighters on that mission, from the downed crew that were picked [24:14] up to those forces that went and got them. [24:18] Hearing these stories firsthand has only deepened our appreciation for their tenacity, creativity, [24:27] courage, and grit of the American Joint Force. [24:31] This is a story that gets to the very heart and soul of who we are as a joint force, who [24:39] we are as Americans, selfless sacrifice in service of others. [24:47] From the backseater, Dude44Bravo, whose pure and unadulterated joy at seeing those helicopters [24:57] come into the valley to get his front seater in daylight because he knew the front seater [25:05] did not have a jacket and was so filled with heart leaping joy at his front seater getting [25:13] picked up. [25:15] To the nighttime folks that went in and then got him, to the tanker forces that did the [25:20] things that they had to do to give their own gas away to the support packages, to those [25:27] that went into the desert landing site, not once, not twice, but three times as we fought [25:34] through multiple contingencies. [25:37] This was and is a joint force that has the guts to try, that does not quit. [25:45] And today is the things that we must to dare to win. [25:51] No lives were lost, we succeeded because the joint force is always at the ready, they trust [25:57] each other, they trust their leaders, and they trust their training. [26:01] And they remember first, foremost, and always that we do these things so that others may [26:06] live and we will never leave anyone behind. [26:10] The success of Operation Fury thus far, and we hope it remains, culminates with this incredible [26:16] rescue over the weekend, a direct example of the professionalism and courage of the United [26:22] States military and our joint force. [26:25] It's the service members on the front lines, our partners in the region, our teammates in [26:30] the intelligence community, our civilian leaders in the OSW side of the house, the [26:35] American workers who build the tools and weapons that we use, and the American people who back [26:40] us up that help us to go do these things. [26:43] We stand here, I stand here humbled today, but frankly not surprised by what the joint force [26:49] has been able to do. [26:51] Their performance is fueled by a deep commitment to each other, their mission, and to our country. [26:58] It is an incredible, deep honor for me to be a part of this joint force, and I'm humbled [27:04] by the service and sacrifice each and every day that I am lucky enough to see. [27:09] And finally, as I always do, I ask that we never forget our fallen and their families, especially [27:17] those 13 fallen from Operation Epic Fury. [27:21] May we always be worthy of their sacrifice and honor their legacy. [27:25] And with that, sir, I'll turn it back over to you. [27:27] Thank you, Mr. Chairman. [27:28] We'll take a few questions. [27:31] Alexandra Igersoll, One America News. [27:33] First of all, thank you to our troops. [27:37] What role is our military playing in escorting vessels through the Strait of Hormuz at this [27:42] point? [27:43] And the president said on True Social that the U.S. will be hanging around to make sure [27:48] everything goes well. [27:49] Obviously, Mr. Secretary, you just mentioned, you know, we know the scars from hanging around [27:55] in Iraq for decades. [27:57] But what does that entail in terms of our military presence at this juncture? [28:01] Yeah, we'll be hanging around. [28:02] We're not going anywhere. [28:03] We're going to make sure Iran complies with this ceasefire and then ultimately comes to the [28:10] table and makes a deal. [28:11] So we'll stay put, stay ready, stay vigilant. [28:14] As the chairman laid out, our troops are prepared to defend, prepared to go on offense, prepared [28:19] to restart at a moment's notice with whatever target package would be needed in order to [28:24] ensure that Iran complies. [28:25] As far as the Strait, you saw the initial agreement that was struck, which is Iran's [28:32] letting ships go through. [28:33] So that will be happening. [28:35] They will be sailing. [28:37] And ultimately, as the president, I mean, we've done an incredible job militarily inside [28:42] the Strait of Hormuz. [28:44] I failed to mention Admiral Cooper's name. [28:46] He's done a phenomenal job along with everybody at AFSENT and AFSENT and ARSENT and all the [28:51] components down there, laying the groundwork for Iran. [28:55] Iran doesn't have the same ability to defend it the way they did before. [28:58] And so, as the president has pointed out to the rest of the world, we barely get any of [29:01] our energy out of the Strait, just a tiny fraction. [29:05] It's time for the rest of the world to step up and ensure that that stays open after President [29:09] Trump and the War Department brought Iran to the place where they are voluntarily opening [29:14] it right now, as was announced last night. [29:16] Thank you, Mr. Secretary, and thank you both for the update. [29:23] President Trump posted on True Social this morning that there has been a very productive [29:28] regime change in Iran and that there will be no enrichment of uranium, and the U.S. will [29:34] work with Iran to dig up and remove the deeply buried nuclear dust. [29:39] So I just have two questions here. [29:42] So both you, Mr. Secretary, and the President have referred to a new regime in Iran. [29:47] So is this not the regime that was at war with us for 47 years, and how do we, what do we [29:56] think of when we're saying that this is a new regime, what are we thinking and what are we [30:00] saying there? [30:01] And then my second question is, with any future deal with Iran, is their handing over of all [30:08] of their enriched uranium, and their promising not to enrich any future uranium, a non-negotiable [30:14] for the U.S.? [30:15] It's always been non-negotiable that they won't have nuclear capabilities. [30:19] And so right now it's buried and we're watching it. [30:22] We know exactly what they have. [30:24] And they know that. [30:25] And they will either give it to us, which the President has laid out, they'll give it [30:29] to us voluntarily. [30:30] We'll get it. [30:31] We'll take it. [30:32] We'll take it out. [30:33] Or if we have to do something else ourselves, like we did in Midnight Hammer or something [30:35] like that, we reserve that opportunity. [30:37] But what's clear, what the Iranian, the new Iranian regime knows, is they'll never have [30:42] a nuclear weapon or the capability to get a path to one. [30:45] As far as the new regime, you heard the list that I read. [30:49] It's a new group of people who've seen the full capability of the United States military, [30:55] and has a new calculus about what it means to negotiate with us. [30:58] Hence why they came to the table, wanting a ceasefire and the shooting to stop. [31:04] So this new regime, which the regime has been changed, has a different interaction with [31:08] the U.S. [31:09] Right here. [31:10] Mr. Secretary, thank you. [31:11] Of course... [31:12] I was going in front, right here. [31:13] Thank you, Mr. Secretary and General Cain, Mary Margaret with The Daily Wire, two questions. [31:19] Iran has said that safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz will be possible in coordination [31:24] with Iran's armed forces and, quote, technical limitations. [31:27] What do you believe that means? [31:29] And then we've also heard reports that Iran has continued striking targets well into this [31:33] morning. [31:34] At what point are we beyond a grace period? [31:36] Are we giving them a grace period? [31:38] Is there a miscommunication there? [31:39] What's going on with that? [31:41] What we know is that Iran is going to say a lot of things. [31:44] A lot of people are going to say a lot of things, claim a lot of things. [31:47] What has been agreed to, what's been stated, is the Strait is open. [31:50] Our military is watching. [31:51] I'm sure their military is watching, but commerce will flow. [31:54] And that's what you saw the markets react to, is that reality. [31:58] As far as shooting that, we were monitoring it last night in real time. [32:01] Of course we are. [32:03] Iran would be wise to find a way to get the carrier pigeon to their troops out in remote [32:10] locations to know not to shoot, not to shoot any longer. [32:14] One way attacks or missiles, because this takes time sometimes for ceasefires to take hold. [32:19] We're watching it. [32:20] We're prepared, if necessary, but we hope and believe that it will hold. [32:25] Yes. [32:26] Thank you, Secretary. [32:27] Okay. [32:28] You have been watching the Pentagon press briefing live, where Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, [32:32] you see him right there, and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Dan Cain, have [32:36] been briefing reporters for the first time since President Trump announced that two-week [32:40] ceasefire deal last night. [32:41] NBC News national security reporter Gordon Lubald is with us from Washington. [32:46] NBC News military analyst Colonel Steve Warren is joining us now here in New York for their [32:50] real-time analysis and expertise on what's going on. [32:54] Colonel Warren, I'd like to start with you. [32:56] Secretary Hegseth a second ago said America achieved, quote, every single objective here. [33:01] Iran begged for the ceasefire, and we all know it. [33:05] And he went and talked about how their air defenses have been wiped out. [33:08] The missile program is functionally destroyed. [33:10] They can't build missiles or rockets. [33:13] And he suggested that the enriched material would have to be removed. [33:16] Does that track with what we're hearing from the Iranians this morning? [33:20] And what do you take away in terms of this projection of victory and how it could impact [33:24] talks over a ceasefire deal? [33:26] Yeah, certainly a declaration of victory, isn't it? [33:28] I mean, they are declaring victory. [33:30] And I think that the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs came in behind the secretary and gave us [33:35] a little bit more fidelity, which isn't, I don't view it as total victory, although certainly [33:40] a rousing success. [33:42] He talked about 80 percent of Iranians' air defense systems being eliminated. [33:48] He talked about 2,000 C2 command and control nodes being eliminated. [33:52] So certainly there's no question that the Iranian capability has been significantly reduced. [33:58] It has not, in my view, been wiped out. [34:00] Now, how does that translate to talks? [34:02] Well, we'll have to see, of course. [34:05] Most of the time, I don't think the Iranians are going to respond with emotion. [34:09] They're looking to see what they can get out of this. [34:11] Yeah. [34:12] I'm going to shift to Gordon for a second. [34:13] Gordon, as you heard in that press briefing a second ago and President Trump this morning [34:16] putting out on Truth Social that there's been a very productive regime change here. [34:21] He also says there will be no enrichment of uranium in the United States. [34:24] still working with Iran dig up and remove all the deeply buried nuclear dust. [34:29] Gordon, how are they going to remove that material? [34:33] And would this even qualify as a regime change? [34:35] Do we know enough information at this point to draw that conclusion? [34:37] Yeah, that's right. [34:39] So the regime change, the kind of new regime is interesting. [34:44] I think almost everybody recognizes that the leader of the regime is potentially younger [34:51] and is potentially harder lined than the old regime. [34:55] It's still one that the president believes the U.S. can work with. [35:01] But there's a lot of questions there about this idea that it's a brand new regime and [35:05] a new day in Iran. [35:07] On the on the uranium, it's fascinating because, you know, what we were all standing by kind [35:12] of waiting to see would potentially happen is would the would President Trump send ground [35:17] troops into Iran for what would be clearly like the most dangerous mission, which is to [35:23] go in for several days to extract the uranium and retrieve it and get it out there safely. [35:31] Now, you know, President Trump is suggesting that now potentially as this ceasefire holds, [35:38] if it holds, that it could be potentially safe enough for the U.S. to go in, send troops [35:43] in to do it on their own. [35:46] He kind of vaguely referred to the idea of the U.S. and Iran working together on that. [35:51] That's you know, there's a lot of questions there. [35:54] He also mentioned the idea of the U.S. and Iran working together to kind of reopen the [35:59] strait. [36:00] And so there's questions there, too. [36:01] We just don't we just don't know. [36:02] OK, as you bring up reopening the strait, I think that was fascinating because Secretary [36:06] Hegseth was asked, is it reopened now under what terms? [36:10] And so, Colonel, I'll turn it to you for a second. [36:12] Do we know that it's open? [36:14] Because he discussed the idea that, you know, they're cooperating, Iran is cooperating. [36:18] But they've also put out a statement saying that anyone that wants to pass through the [36:21] Strait of Hormuz needs to be collaborating with Iranian forces. [36:24] And there's some technical limitations there. [36:27] So what do we know about the Strait of Hormuz? [36:30] Let's start with the big picture, right? [36:31] It was never physically closed. [36:33] It was always, I used the word, psychologically closed, right? [36:37] The reason nobody's going through the straits is because nobody feels safe going through [36:41] the straits. [36:42] So how do we make them feel safe? [36:45] That's the real question. [36:46] We don't have that answer yet. [36:47] And the Iranians are making assurances, oh, as long as you swing by, maybe pay us a toll. [36:51] You'll be fine. [36:52] Is that enough? [36:53] Could this become a revenue generator for Iran? [36:56] Is that the direction that this heads? [36:57] Well, it already has become a revenue generator, hasn't it? [37:00] They've let about a half a dozen ships a day through, paying anywhere from one to two million [37:04] dollar toll per transit. [37:06] Yeah. [37:07] I guess, you know, shifting back to the bigger picture here in terms of talks, Gordon, it [37:12] feels like there are just so many conflicting points, even now, with what the administration [37:17] is saying about what Iran has to do and what Iran's own government is saying, especially [37:21] as it concerns enriching uranium. [37:23] I mean, it's one thing to remove all this material from the country. [37:26] It's another to impact the ideology and the identity that they see with being able to develop [37:32] nuclear capabilities. [37:33] You also didn't hear General Cain use the word nuclear once in his entire remarks. [37:38] What do you make of that, Gordon? [37:40] Well, I just think that, you know, the uranium was the kind of animating feature of what kind [37:46] of brought the U.S. to go in or convince President Trump that he needed to go into Iran [37:54] in the first place 40 days ago. [37:57] And so I would point out that, you know, we'll see what happens with the strait, which now [38:02] is, you know, psychologically closed, as Colonel Warren says. [38:05] The uranium remains in the country. [38:09] The regime is still very much in charge. [38:12] It does not seem like there's any, it does not yet, it's not yet clear kind of where their [38:18] thinking is in terms of working with the U.S. on any of this stuff. [38:22] And I just, I think it's really important to note the contrast between what President Trump [38:27] has said, total and complete victory over this. [38:32] You saw Secretary Hegseth and Chairman Cain really, really, as Steve said, you know, [38:40] it's kind of a total victory. [38:42] The question is, like, does this become like a mission accomplished moment, which, as viewers [38:47] will remember, like George Bush, President Bush said in May 2003, soon after the invasion [38:53] of Iraq. [38:54] And there's so many other questions. [38:56] And as I mentioned earlier, the issue of how many, how much control Iran has over its [39:02] proxies and other militias that are now super angry and potentially can lash out. [39:09] Secretary Hegseth said that, you know, they got lucky one time in the shoot down of the [39:13] F-15. [39:13] But we'll see if there's more of that. [39:16] Gordon, thank you. [39:16] Colonel Warren, last thoughts here. [39:18] What does the American public take away from what we've accomplished in these last 40 days? [39:22] I think there's two takeaways. [39:24] Takeaway number one, and I will sort of support the chairman of the Joint Chiefs on this one. [39:29] Clearly, the United States military is a force that's unmatched in the world. [39:34] That's something that all Americans can be proud of. [39:36] All Americans whose sons and daughters and mothers and fathers and brothers and sisters [39:41] are thinking about enlisting, they're going into a professional force. [39:44] The other thing to take away, however, is that we're not done in the Middle East. [39:48] No, they said that they're ready to re-engage. [39:49] Secretary Hegseth said, at a moment's notice, we have much more development here to follow [39:55] and breaking news this morning on these ceasefire negotiations, which are just now starting, [40:00] at least as of about 7 o'clock last night, projected for Friday. [40:03] We'll see where it goes. [40:05] We'll be back with more news right after this. [40:06] Give it up. [40:35] We'll get it. [40:35] We'll take it. [40:36] If we have to, we can do it in any means necessary. [40:39] So that's something the president is going to solve for. [40:41] We already have Midnight Hammer with the place we put them in and the reason it's in the [40:47] situation where it is. [40:49] The second one was about the people. [40:51] Listen, I would love to see the Iranian people take advantage of this opportunity. [40:55] They have been oppressed by the previous regime, and they'll have a new opportunity with this [41:00] regime that remains to be seen. [41:03] That was not our objective in this effort, but they're brave people. [41:07] Horrible things have been done to them by the previous regime, tens of thousands targeted [41:11] and killed and assassinated in a way the government never should, and we wish them the best, absolutely. [41:16] Thank you all very much. [41:17] Appreciate it.