Secretary Hegseth and Chairman Caine hold a press briefing on Operation Epic Fury - 04/08/2026

[8:34] Iran has been a threat to the United States and the free world for 47 years. [8:41] Chance of death to America, targeting our people, killing Americans, lying and blackmailing [8:46] their way toward a nuclear weapon, so they thought. [8:51] No longer not on our watch. [8:54] Other presidents marked time and kicked the can down the road. [8:58] President Trump made history. [9:01] From the strike that took out Qasem Soleimani, to tearing up the disastrous Obama-Iran deal, [9:08] to the precision campaign that obliterated Iran's nuclear sites in Operation Midnight Hammer, [9:13] to the decisive military victory we just achieved in Operation Epic Fury. [9:19] No other president has shown the courage and resolve of this Commander-in-Chief. [9:26] President Trump forged this moment. [9:28] Iran begged for this ceasefire, and we all know it. [9:33] As the president truth this morning, a big day for world peace. [9:37] Iran wants it to happen. They've had enough. [9:42] Operation Epic Fury was a historic and overwhelming victory on the battlefield. [9:49] A capital-V military victory. [9:54] By any measure, Epic Fury decimated Iran's military and rendered it combat ineffective for years to come. [10:03] You see, in less than 40 days, one of our combatant commands, Central Command, CENTCOM, [10:09] using less than 10% of America's total combat power, dismantled one of the world's largest militaries. [10:17] The world's leading state sponsor of terrorism proved utterly incapable of defending itself, its people, or its territory. [10:27] We untied just a fraction of our strength, and Iran suffered a devastating military defeat. [10:35] Together with our Israeli partners, America's military achieved every single objective, on plan, on schedule, exactly as laid out from day one. [10:46] Iran's Navy is at the bottom of the sea. [10:50] Whether it's the Soleimani class, their frigate class, their prized drone aircraft carriers, submarines, mine layers, sunk. [11:00] Iran's Air Force has been wiped out. [11:03] Iran no longer has an air defense, any sort of a comprehensive air defense system. [11:08] We own their skies. [11:11] Their missile program is functionally destroyed. [11:14] Launchers, production facilities, and existing stockpiles depleted and decimated, and almost completely ineffective. [11:22] Iran shot hundreds and hundreds of missiles and one-way attack drones at our aircraft carrier. [11:28] They were obsessed with it, and they never got even close. [11:32] Every single one of those shots easily shot down miles and miles away from the Abe Lincoln. [11:39] They were blowing ammo into fantasy land. [11:44] Contrast that with, most significantly, in last night's wave of more than 800 strikes, we finished completely destroying Iran's defense industrial base, a core pillar of our mission objective. [12:00] What little they have left, buried in bunkers, is all they will have. [12:06] They can still shoot, we know that. [12:08] Their command and control is so decimated, they can't really talk and coordinate. [12:11] So they still may shoot here and there, but that would be very, very unwise. [12:17] But they can no longer build missiles, build rockets, build launchers, or build UAVs. [12:23] Their factories have been razed to the ground, set back in historic fashion. [12:31] You see, had Iran refused our terms, the next targets would have been their power plants, their bridges, and oil and energy infrastructure. [12:40] Targets they could not defend and could not realistically rebuild. [12:45] It would have taken them decades and we were locked and loaded. [12:49] They couldn't defend against it. [12:52] President Trump had the power to cripple Iran's entire economy in minutes, but he choose, he chose mercy. [13:00] He spared those targets because Iran accepted the ceasefire under overwhelming pressure. [13:07] The new Iranian regime understood that a deal was far better than the fate that awaited them. [13:13] This new regime just happened to look at what happened to their predecessors. [13:18] Their top leadership was systematically eliminated. [13:23] The previous Iranian supreme leader, dead. [13:27] The supreme national security council secretary, dead. [13:32] The supreme leader office advisor, dead. [13:35] The supreme leader military office chief, dead. [13:39] The defense minister, no longer with us. [13:43] The IRGC commander, dead. [13:47] The armed forces general staff commander, dead. [13:50] The intelligence minister, dead. [13:53] The IRGC navy commander, no longer here. [13:58] The IRGC intel chief, dead. [14:01] I skipped over a bunch and I could go on and on and on to include the new, [14:08] so-called new supreme leader, wounded and disfigured. [14:10] This new regime was out of options and out of time, so they cut a deal. [14:18] They know this agreement means that they will never ever possess a nuclear weapon. [14:22] Under the terms, any nuclear material they should have will be removed. [14:30] Any material, excuse me, they should not have will be removed. [14:34] Right now their dust is deeply buried and watched 24-7 overhead. [14:39] The president has been clear from the beginning there will be no Iranian nuclear weapons. [14:44] Period. [14:45] Full stop. [14:46] Other presidents said it. [14:48] President Trump did it. [14:50] Operation Epic Fury. [14:53] Less than six weeks. [14:55] Clear mission. [14:56] Decisive action. [14:57] Overwhelming firepower. [14:59] America first. [15:00] A historic battlefield victory. [15:03] For decades, Iran killed Americans with roadside bombs in Iraq. [15:09] Using cowardly proxies to do their dirty work while they hid safely in Tehran. [15:14] They struck our embassies with car bombs and attacked from the shadows. [15:18] Never daring to face us toe to toe. [15:21] They thought they could bleed America with impunity. [15:25] Well, they just learned the hard way. [15:27] What happens when you try to fight us directly. [15:30] And even when they got lucky. [15:33] One time in 40 days. [15:35] And down two of our pilots. [15:37] They couldn't hold them. [15:38] In a daring 14-hour rescue operation. [15:42] Seven hours in daylight and seven hours of night. [15:46] Both pilots were recovered safely. [15:48] Not once, but twice. [15:52] A daylight thunder run right up the middle of their country. [15:58] Boots on the ground. [16:00] A midnight raid right up the middle of their country. [16:05] Boots on the ground. [16:09] Zero American casualties. [16:11] The Iranians humiliated and demoralized. [16:14] We control their fate. [16:16] Not the other way around. [16:18] That's why they came to the table. [16:22] Iran's defeat is America's retribution for every American loss to Iranian terror. [16:27] Especially those brave troops killed by Iranian-made roadside bombs in Iraq that my generation knows [16:33] so well. [16:34] And for the suffering their regime has inflicted around the world. [16:39] Now we have a chance at real peace. [16:41] And a real deal. [16:42] The War Department, for now, for now, has done its part. [16:48] We stand ready in the background to ensure Iran upholds every reasonable term. [16:53] And as everyone knows, nobody makes a better deal than President Trump. [16:59] To the warriors of epic fury, I say well done. [17:03] You're the backbone of our country. [17:06] Your skill, your bravery, and sheer guts and grit showed the world what America is all about. [17:12] I'm proud of you. [17:13] We're proud of you. [17:15] The President is proud of you. [17:17] Job well done. [17:18] But stay vigilant and stay ready. [17:21] To the families of our fallen, your sacrifice was in service of a historic cause. [17:27] And we will always remember your heroes, our heroes. [17:32] We will continue to honor them. [17:34] And to our Israeli allies, thank you for being a brave, capable, and willing ally on this battlefield. [17:41] The rest of the world and the rest of our so-called allies saw what real capabilities look like. [17:47] They should take some notes. [17:50] Our troops, our American warriors deserve the credit for this day. [17:55] But God deserves all the glory. [17:58] Tens of thousands of sorties, refuelings, and strikes carried out under the protection of divine providence. [18:05] A massive effort with miraculous protection. [18:10] Dude 44 Bravo spoke for all of us. [18:15] God is good. [18:17] The Chairman will now provide an even deeper military detail on the historic success of Operation Epic Fury. [18:25] Mr. Chairman. [18:26] Thank you, Mr. Secretary, and good morning, ladies and gentlemen. [18:28] Thanks for being here. [18:30] I want to start this morning by honoring the 13 members of our American Joint Force [18:34] who were killed in action thus far during this operation. [18:38] Their sacrifice and that of their families is deeply important to us. [18:43] And we are grateful for each of them and will continue to mourn their loss. [18:48] Their names and their bravery will never be forgotten. [18:52] On February 28th, the President of the United States ordered the Joint Force to execute Operation Epic Fury [18:58] with the direction to accomplish three distinct military objectives. [19:03] Destroy Iran's ballistic missile and drone capabilities. [19:07] Destroy the Iranian Navy. [19:09] And destroy their defense industrial base to ensure that Iran cannot reconstitute the ability to project power outside their borders. [19:18] Over the course of 38 days of major combat operation, the Joint Force achieved the military objectives as defined by the President. [19:25] We welcome the ongoing ceasefire. [19:28] And as the Secretary said, we hope that Iran chooses a lasting peace. [19:33] But as Secretary Hegseth said, let us be clear, a ceasefire is a pause and the Joint Force remains ready, [19:40] if ordered or called upon, to resume combat operations with the same speed and precision as we've demonstrated over the last 38 days. [19:49] And we hope that that is not the case. [19:52] I want to congratulate and thank the leadership today at U.S. Central Command, [19:57] including the Commander Admiral Brad Cooper, the Deputy Commander Lieutenant General Kevin Leahy, [20:02] the Senior Enlisted Leader Fleet Master Chief Compton, and every one of the component commanders, [20:09] Senior Enlisted Leaders, and especially the staff down at U.S. Central Command, who does not get called out for any of the credit, [20:17] but grinds 24-7 to help offer the options that we bring to the Secretary and the President. [20:23] I also want to highlight the forces in the United States European Command under the command of [20:27] Alexis Grinkowicz, who protected the western flank in support of CENTCOM. [20:33] And I want to thank our partners across the intelligence community. [20:37] Our ability to see and understand what an adversary is doing [20:42] help us to be as decisive as we must be on the battlefield. [20:46] And that includes DIA, NSA, NGA, the CIA, and the National Reconnaissance Office, and others. [20:54] I want to thank the other combat commands who have thus far contributed along the way to U.S. Central Command. [21:01] This includes Transcom, Stratcom, Spacecom, SOCOM, and Cybercom, all of whom poured all in, [21:10] in support of CENTCOM's efforts. [21:13] And I want to thank, as the Secretary did, our Gulf partners who fought alongside each and every one of us [21:19] every day. [21:20] From the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, and Jordan, all who joined us together to [21:28] defend and protect our people and our assets, and who, if required, stand ready to do so again. [21:35] And I want to thank my team at the Joint Staff, who work literally around the clock in order to help me [21:43] offer the options that I must with the associated risks to the Secretary and to the President. [21:49] They are the hardest working people that I know, and I am deeply grateful for their service. [21:55] Most importantly today, I want to thank America's members of the Joint Force, who've poured everything [22:02] that they can into Operation Epic Fury, and their families, who've worked 24 hours a day for 38 days. [22:11] The Secretary and I could not be more proud of each and every one of you. [22:15] And we deeply appreciate the support of the American people, who we know always have us in our thoughts [22:23] and prayers, and we can feel this literally every single day. [22:28] As the Secretary said, the United States has devastated the regime's ability to harm Americans [22:34] and our interests for years to come. [22:36] Since the beginning of major combat operations, the United States Joint Forces struck more than 13,000 [22:42] targets, including in that 13,000, more than 4,000 dynamic targets that popped up on the battlefield [22:49] and were immediately addressed, thanks to the exceptional command and control system [22:54] and intelligence, acumen, and agility of our Joint Force. [22:58] CENTCOM forces destroyed approximately 80 percent of Iran's air defense systems, [23:03] striking more than 1,500 air defense targets, more than 450 ballistic missile storage facilities, [23:10] 800 one-way attack drones storage facilities. [23:14] All of these systems are gone. We've devastated Iran's command and control and logistical networks, [23:20] destroying more than 2,000 command and control nodes and degrading their ability to target U.S. [23:27] and friendly forces. It is, and we know this, incredibly frustrating right now to be a lower level [23:34] Iranian commander trying to fight your fight. As the Secretary said, the Iranian Navy now [23:40] lies mostly at the bottom of the Arabian Gulf, and we assess that we've sunk more than 90 percent of [23:45] their regular fleet, including all of the major surface combatants, as the Secretary said. [23:50] 150 ships are at the bottom of the ocean, and half of the IRGC Navy's small attack boats. [23:58] Joint fires projected from the land, sea, and air executed more than 700 strikes against naval mine [24:06] targets, and we assess that we destroyed more than 95 percent of their naval mines. And perhaps most [24:13] importantly, we've destroyed Iran's defense industrial base, their ability to reconstitute those [24:20] capabilities for years to come. We attacked, along with our partners, approximately 90 percent of their [24:26] weapons factories. Every factory that produced Shahid one-way attack drones was struck. Every factory [24:34] that produces the guidance systems that go into those drones was struck. Their missile defense [24:39] industrial base is shattered, with more than 80 percent of their missile facilities gone, as well [24:45] as their solid rocket motor production capability. It will take years for Iran to rebuild any major [24:52] surface combatants, as more than 20 naval production and fabrication facilities have been damaged or [24:59] destroyed. And nearly 80 percent of Iran's nuclear industrial base was hit, further degrading their [25:06] attempts to attain a nuclear weapon. Throughout Operation Epic Fury, our Joint Force struck at the heart [25:14] of Iran's ability to project power and threaten the United States and the region. And in order to do this, [25:22] it required the service and sacrifice of more than 50,000 American war fighters deployed across CENTCOM, [25:30] UCOM, and stateside. The Joint Force flew more than 10,000 missions, including 62 bomber missions, [25:38] 18 of which flew round trip from the United States to deliver bombs on military targets. Each of these [25:47] missions was more than 30 hours in duration, and we did that 18 times. No other military in the world [25:55] can do that. And it's a testament to the logistical force that quietly serves behind them. I cannot thank [26:03] TRANSCOM and the Air Force Tanker and Mobility Force more. Combined with Army and Navy Joint Fires, [26:11] we stuck more than 13,000 targets. And along with our Gulf partners, we've thus far intercepted 1,700 ballistic [26:19] missiles and one-way attack drones, defending our forces and our partners in the civilian population. [26:25] And we remain ready to do so should the need arise. Along the way, we consume more than 6 million meals, [26:35] and by my estimate, more than 950,000 gallons of coffee, 2 million energy drinks, and a lot of nicotine, [26:44] but I am not saying that we have a problem. I've laid out the statistics, but it does not truly capture the [26:52] nature of combat. This is gritty and unforgiving business. It's chaotic, it's hot, it's dark, [27:00] it's unpredictable, and there's always unknowns. And our people proudly walked into those unknowns and [27:07] continue forward. And through it all, the Joint Force has demonstrated the unwavering resolve that [27:14] the nation demands of us. We are a mission-focused force, and our objectives always is to create the [27:21] conditions for peace, and today we have, while be ready should that peace break, which we hope it [27:27] is not. And we remain ready. Before I turn it back to the Secretary, I also want to quickly revisit [27:35] the rescue of the Air Force fighter crew over the weekend. To give you an update, we've had, [27:40] the Secretary and I have had the profound honor of speaking directly with many of the war fighters on [27:46] that mission. From the downed crew that were picked up to those forces that went and got them. Hearing [27:54] these stories firsthand has only deepened our appreciation for their tenacity, creativity, [28:03] courage, and grit of the American Joint Force. This is a story that gets to the very heart and soul [28:12] of who we are as a joint force, who we are as Americans. Selfless sacrifice in service of others. [28:22] From the backseater, dude 4-4 Bravo, who's pure and unadulterated joy at seeing those helicopters come [28:34] into the valley to get his frontseater in daylight because he knew the frontseater did not have a jacket. [28:44] And was so filled with heart-leaping joy at his frontseater getting picked up. To the nighttime folks [28:52] that went in and then got him. To the tanker forces that did the things that they had to do to give [28:59] their own gas away. To the support packages. To those that went into the desert landing site, not once, [29:07] not twice, but three times as we fought through multiple contingencies. This was and is a joint [29:16] force that has the guts to try. That does not quit. And who each and every day does the things that we [29:25] must to dare to win. No lives were lost. We succeeded because the joint force is always at the ready. [29:32] They trust each other. They trust their leaders. And they trust their training. And they remember [29:38] first, foremost, and always that we do these things so that others may live. And we will never leave [29:44] anyone behind. The success of Operation Fury thus far, and we hope it remains, culminates [29:51] with this incredible rescue over the weekend. A direct example of the professionalism and courage [29:57] of the United States military and our joint force. It's the service members on the front lines. Our [30:03] partners in the region. Our teammates in the intelligence community. Our civilian leaders in [30:09] the OSW side of the house. The American workers who build the tools and weapons that we use. And the [30:15] American people who back us up that help us to go do these things. We stand here. I stand here [30:21] humbled today, but frankly not surprised by what the joint force has been able to do. Their [30:27] performance is fueled by a deep commitment to each other, their mission, and to our country. It is an [30:34] incredible deep honor for me to be a part of this joint force. And I'm humbled by the service and [30:41] sacrifice each and every day that I am lucky enough to see. And finally, as I always do, I ask that we never [30:50] forget our fallen and their families, especially those 13 fallen from Operation Epic Fury. [30:57] May we always be worthy of their sacrifice and honor their legacy. And with that, sir, [31:01] I'll turn it back over to you. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. We'll take a few questions. [31:07] Alexandra Igersoll, One America News. First of all, thank you to our troops. [31:12] What role is our military playing in escorting vessels through the Strait of Hormuz at this point? [31:18] And the president said on True Social that the U.S. will be hanging around to make sure everything [31:24] goes well. Obviously, Mr. Secretary, you just mentioned, you know, we know the scars from hanging [31:30] around in Iraq for decades. But what does that entail in terms of our military presence at this juncture? [31:37] Yeah, we'll be hanging around. We're not going anywhere. We're going to make sure Iran complies [31:42] with this ceasefire and then ultimately comes to the table and makes a deal. So we'll stay put, [31:49] stay ready, stay vigilant. As the chairman laid out, our troops are prepared to defend, [31:53] prepared to go on offense, prepared to restart at a moment's notice with whatever target package would [31:58] be needed in order to ensure that Iran complies. As far as the Strait, you saw the initial agreement [32:05] that was struck, which is Iran's letting ships go through. So that will be happening. They will [32:11] be sailing. And ultimately, as the president, I mean, we've done an incredible job militarily [32:18] inside the Strait of Hormuz. I failed to mention Admiral Cooper's name. He's done a phenomenal job, [32:24] along with everybody at AFSENT and AFSENT and ARSENT and all the components down there, [32:29] laying the groundwork for Iran. Iran doesn't have the same ability to defend it the way they did before. [32:34] And so, as the president has pointed out to the rest of the world, we barely get any of our energy [32:38] out of the Strait, just a tiny fraction. It's time for the rest of the world to step up and ensure [32:42] that that stays open after President Trump and the War Department brought Iran to the place where [32:49] they are voluntarily opening it right now, as was announced last night. Yes, Jerry. [32:54] Thank you, Mr. Secretary. Thank you both for the update. President Trump posted on True Social this [33:00] morning that there has been a very productive regime change in Iran and that there will be no [33:07] enrichment of uranium, and the U.S. will work with Iran to dig up and remove the deeply buried nuclear dust. [33:15] So I just have two questions here. So both you, Mr. Secretary, and the President have referred to a new [33:22] regime in Iran. So is this not the regime that was at war with us for 47 years? And how do we, [33:31] what do we think of when we're saying that this is a new regime? What are we thinking and what are [33:36] we saying there? And then my second question is, with any future deal with Iran, is their handing [33:43] over of all of their enriched uranium and they're promising not to enrich any future uranium being [33:50] non-negotiable for the U.S.? Well, it's always been non-negotiable that they won't have nuclear [33:54] capabilities. And so right now it's buried and we're watching it. We know exactly what they have, [33:59] and they know that, and they will either give it to us, which the President has laid out. They'll [34:04] give it to us voluntarily. We'll get it. We'll take it. We'll take it out. Or if we have to do [34:08] something else ourselves, like we did in Midnight Hammer or something like that, we reserve that [34:13] opportunity. But what's clear, what the Iranian, the new Iranian regime knows, is they'll never have [34:18] a nuclear weapon or the capability to get a path to one. As far as the new regime, you heard the list that I [34:24] read. It's a new group of people who've seen the full capability of the United States military [34:30] and has a new calculus about what it means to negotiate with us, hence why they came to the [34:36] table wanting a ceasefire and the shooting to stop. So this new regime, which the regime has been [34:42] changed, has a different interaction with the U.S. Right here. Mr. Secretary, thank you. [34:47] I was going in front, right here. Thank you, Mr. Secretary and General Cain. Mary Margaret with [34:52] The Daily Wire. Two questions. Iran has said that safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz will be [34:58] possible in coordination with Iran's armed forces and, quote, technical limitations. What do you [35:04] believe that means? And then we've also heard reports that Iran has continued striking targets [35:08] well into this morning. At what point are we beyond a grace period? Are we giving them a grace period? [35:14] Is there a miscommunication there? What's going on with that? [35:16] What we know is that Iran is going to say a lot of things. A lot of people are going to say a lot [35:21] of things, claim a lot of things. What has been agreed to, what's been stated is the strait is open. [35:26] Our military is watching. I'm sure their military is watching, but commerce will flow. [35:30] And that's what you saw the markets react to is that reality. As far as shooting that, we were [35:36] monitoring it last night in real time. Of course we are. Iran would be wise to find a way to get the [35:43] carrier pigeon to their troops out in remote locations to know not to shoot, not to shoot [35:49] any longer. One way attacks or missiles because this is takes time sometimes for ceasefires to take [35:54] hold. We're watching it. We're prepared if necessary, but we hope and believe that it'll hold. [36:01] Yes. Thank you, secretary. Sorry. Excuse me. Why are you so rude? Just wait. I'm calling on people. [36:07] Thank you, secretary. Yesterday in the president's truth social, he threatened to wipe out a civilization. [36:14] That statement elicited a huge response in America. If Iran did not come to the table and make a deal [36:21] yesterday by the deadline, was the president really prepared to wipe out Iran entirely? [36:26] Like I said, we had a target set locked and loaded of infrastructure, bridges, power plants. Remember, [36:34] this is a terror regime. The military regime used all of these things for dual use to fund their [36:39] military to fund their terror campaigns. We had a lot of legitimate targets. They knew exactly the [36:43] scope of what we were capable of. We hit some military targets on CARG, which is a bit of a signal. [36:48] They can't defend it. And so Iran ultimately understood their ability, their future to produce, [36:56] to generate power, to fuel their terrorist regime was in our hands, was in President Trump's hands. [37:03] That's why they came to the table. He ultimately said, we can take it all from you. Your ability to [37:08] export energy will be taken away. And the United States military has the ability to strike those [37:13] things with impunity. That type of threat is what brought them to the place where they effectively [37:19] say, okay, we want to cut this deal. Yes, right here. Good morning, Mr. Secretary, [37:24] Mr. Chairman. David Zia, Real America's Voice. During the ceasefire, what do we do when we see [37:32] Iran rearming, regrouping, repositioning weapon systems and air defenses? And also, [37:39] have we confirmed the specific model type of air defense or man pads that took down our F-15? And is [37:45] it still a threat for our patrols? We're still working through the specific details around that [37:55] particular shoot down. And the crews, when they normally return, go through a debriefing process, [38:01] along with the other members of that flight that were out there. And they'll go back, as they always [38:07] do, and forensically look at what are the tactical lessons learned? Did we sense or see something? Could [38:13] we have done something different? We do that, as I mentioned, in a prior press conference. Every [38:18] single time we take any loss like that so that we become a quick learning organization. On the other [38:26] part of your question around the movement of Iranian military forces, U.S. CENTCOM will continue to [38:32] monitor that situation. They will continue to have a series of response options. And if need be, [38:40] we will come to the secretary and to the president for guidance and be prepared to do the things that [38:46] they're ordered to do so against valid military targets in accordance with the normal procedures [38:52] that we have. I would just note, it's a good question. The more Iran moves, the more Iran moves [38:58] forces, the more they emplace forces, the more easily targetable they are for us right now. Remember, [39:04] we're able to look. We're able to see. We're able to sense. We know where they are. So if they try to [39:09] pre-position, they're just creating riper military targets for us to strike should they make the wrong [39:14] decision at the table. Right here. Mr. Secretary, Luis Martinez with ABC News. First, a question to [39:20] General Cain, sir. In your personal opinion, were the risks of the straight and four moves being [39:26] closed because of the conflict, were they mitigated early enough in part of the decision-making process [39:32] led up to the decision to take action against Iran? And in your opinion, is Iran in control of the [39:39] straight and four moves? We just heard the secretary say that Iran is letting them ships through, [39:46] which would imply that potentially it's not just – the secretary also said that the U.S. [39:52] that the straight is open. You did say that, sir. But in your opinion, sir, [39:56] how can the U.S. ensure safe passage? Mr. Secretary, can you say today that the United [40:05] States achieved – the administration achieved the military goals that you were – you've [40:10] constantly delineated? And – but strategically, is that a victory because of that? And also, [40:18] you said earlier that the President chose mercy. But you yourself had said three weeks ago that we [40:24] will give no quarter or no – no quarter to Iranian troops. How do you – how do you correlate those [40:31] two? And do you think that your comments may have put American troops at risk? [40:35] No. I try to be nice up here, but you did listen to what I said, right? I laid out the objectives. [40:44] We believe we've accomplished them, and it's a historic military victory. And President Trump has the [40:49] option as the commander-in-chief to compel an adversary to the table, which is precisely what [40:54] he did. And at the end, he chose to say, you know what, I'd rather talk to you at the table than [40:58] obliterate your capability to export oil and fund your terror regime. So he did make that choice. [41:04] That was his choice. He was a President of Peace, and he's been willing to make those really tough [41:09] calls that the American people elected him to do. Nothing we've done – not a single thing we've done. [41:14] This is a typical – of course, it's ABC. Not a single thing we've done has put an American troop [41:20] in more of a harm's way. We've only set our troops up to harm Iranian military capabilities, [41:26] which they've done to devastating fashion and to great success. Mr. Chairman, you had a question. [41:31] There's a lot in that question. I'd love to take that offline and answer it, but it was – I'm [41:38] struggling to find exactly what your question was, and that's probably me, not you. [41:41] Mr. Chairman, it's – sorry. It was an indictment framed as a question, [41:47] so you're forgiven for understanding. Go ahead, please. [41:49] Mr. Can I frame it again, sir? [41:50] Mr. No, you've had your chance. Go ahead, sir. [41:52] The news is open right now. [41:53] Mr. Thank you very much. [41:54] Mr. I believe so, based on the diplomatic negotiations. [41:56] Mr. Thank you very much, Mr. Secretary. [41:57] Mr. I believe so. [41:57] Mr. It is always nice to see you. [41:59] Mr. Sorry. [42:00] Mr. Kurd or Rahim Rashidi from Kurdistan. I'm Representative Kurdistan TV and Kurdistan 20 for today. [42:08] I have two questions. Mr. Secretary, will your forces stay in the region and continue to defend [42:18] and protect your allies and take the responsibility for their security? Second question is, as you [42:27] mentioned, many times that you have full control of Iran airspace. Do you still have this control or not? [42:38] Mr. Well, thank you for the question. The chairman mentioned the UAE and Bahrain and Qatar, Saudi Arabia, [42:45] Kuwait, who have fought shoulder to shoulder with us, especially in defense of our facilities, [42:51] of our people, of their facilities, and we appreciate that. So that coordination, of course, [42:56] will continue. And then when it comes to the skies over Iran, I would just, again, [42:59] I would point to Exhibit A and Exhibit B, seven hours in the day, seven hours at night. If any foreign [43:06] adversary attempted to do the same over our soil, they would have no ability to do so. [43:12] Will they have a system here or there? Maybe. Do they have a network, a system that's capable of [43:19] defending their skies? No, they don't. As the chairman laid out, that's been dismantled, degraded, [43:24] and destroyed. So it's a slight distinction, but an important one. Yes, right here. Go ahead. [43:30] General George in the middle of a war. Excuse me. You got a question? Go ahead. [43:34] Yes. Yes. Two questions, actually, for you. So during this time, is the President still, [43:40] are you still encouraging civilians to rise up against the uranium regime? Or are they satisfied [43:47] with this new regime change? Or is this two-week period to kind of see where that leads? Also, [43:53] talk about the enriched uranium going in there. Would that require special forces or other military, [44:00] our service members? Who would be basically going in there and trusted to going in there [44:05] to get that uranium out? Again, on the uranium, we're watching it. We know what they have, [44:11] and they will give it up, and we'll get it, and we'll take it. If we have to, we can do it in any [44:17] means necessary. So that's something the President is going to solve for. We already have a midnight [44:22] hammer with the place we put them in and the reason it's in the situation where it is. The second one was [44:29] about the people. Listen, I would love to see the Iranian people take advantage of this opportunity. [44:34] They have been oppressed by the previous regime, and they'll have a new opportunity with this regime [44:41] that remains to be seen. That was not our objective in this effort, but they're brave people. [44:46] Horrible things have been done to them by the previous regime. Tens of thousands targeted and killed [44:50] and assassinated in a way the government never should, and we wish them the best, absolutely. [44:55] Thank you all very much. Appreciate it.