US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth delivers press conference

[0:00] press briefing is regular one let's take a listen well good morning unlike the endless wars of the [0:10] past that dragged on for years and for decades with little to show for it operation epic fury [0:16] has delivered a decisive military results in just weeks korea vietnam iraq afghanistan as the [0:24] president has pointed out all took years decades vague missions shifting sands little to show for [0:33] it operation epic fury has been laser focused from the very start as i've said to all of you clear [0:40] mission objectives and ultimately iran will not have a nuclear weapon it's a bold and dangerous [0:48] mission a gift to the world historic courtesy of a bold and historic president that mission continues [0:59] today in this new phase as iran has an important choice a chance to make a deal a good deal a wise [1:07] deal as part of that effort the united states has imposed an ironclad blockade that grows more [1:15] powerful by the day from the gulf of oman to the open oceans our navy is enforcing this blockade [1:23] without hesitation or apology now as usual there's a lot of false information out there i'll say this [1:30] every ship every ship that the u.s believes meets our criteria either iranian ships or to and from [1:38] iranian ports has been turned around as of this morning 34 total non-iranian vessels are allowed [1:47] to transit and many have including overnight not only is the blockade growing in fact a second aircraft [1:57] carrier will join the blockade in just a few days but this growing blockade is also gone global just [2:06] this week we seized two iranian dark fleet ships in the indo-pacific region that had left iranian ports [2:14] before the blockade went into effect they thought they'd made it out just in time they did not we [2:20] seized their sanctioned ships and we will seize more our blockade is growing and going global america's [2:31] military is unmatched projecting power denying passage to adversaries and protecting our interest [2:38] at the time and place of our choosing no one sails from the strait of hormuz to anywhere in the world [2:44] without the permission of the united states navy to the regime in tehran the blockade is tightening by [2:50] the hour we are in control nothing in nothing out iran's battered military the irgc specifically has been [3:01] reduced to a gang of pirates with a flag they cloak their aggression in slogans but the world now sees [3:08] them for what they are criminals on the high seas they don't control anything they're acting like [3:16] pirates acting like terrorists they're the ones who lay indiscriminate minds who shoot at random ships [3:26] who killed 45 000 of their own people innocent protesters in the course of weeks their own people [3:35] they are the bad actors the vessels that the iranians seized in recent days a couple of them they're not [3:41] american ships they're not israeli ships they're just random ships that drove where they drove their [3:50] little speed boats up to and shot at those ships with ak-47s anyone with a speed boat a gun and the wrong [3:56] intentions can do that they know that we the united states of america control the flow of global shipping [4:05] and we know that they know their real navy is at the bottom of the arabian gulf it's worth saying [4:13] again for 47 years iran has been at war with america killing our citizens our soldiers and our allies [4:22] while previous administrations looked the other way the real endless war is the war that iran has [4:29] waged on us for 47 years president trump is the only president with the guts and moral clarity to [4:36] finally do something about it i see it every day behind closed doors president trump's fortitude is [4:43] unshakable and his mission is crystal clear president trump said it again yesterday we have all the time [4:52] in the world and we're not anxious for a deal and i hear him say it every day in private as well iran [5:01] knows that they still have an open window to choose wisely as we said previously choose wisely at the [5:07] negotiating table all they have to do is abandon a nuclear weapon in me in meaningful and verifiable [5:13] ways or instead they can watch their regime's fragile economic state collapse under the under [5:18] unrelenting pressure of american power a blockade as long as it takes whatever president trump [5:26] decides because the bottom line remains the bottom line iran will never get a nuclear bomb the choice is [5:34] theirs but with this blockade the clock is not on their side moreover president trump has authorized the [5:43] united states navy to destroy any iranian fast boats that attempt to put mines in the water or [5:49] disrupt passage through the strait of hormuz to shoot and kill our commanders have clear rules of [5:55] engagement if iran is putting mines in the water or otherwise threatening american commercial shipping or [6:01] american forces we will shoot to destroy no hesitation just like the drug boats in the caribbean it's also [6:10] worth saying this should not be america's fight alone we barely use the strait of hormuz as a country [6:19] our energy doesn't flow through there and we have plenty of energy just look at the new global congo [6:26] line headed to texas a beautiful picture europe and asia have benefited from our protection for decades [6:36] but the time for free riding is over america and the free world deserve allies who are capable [6:43] who are loyal and you understand that being an ally is not a one-way street it's a two-way street we [6:52] are not counting on europe but they need the strait of hormuz much more than we do and might want to start [6:59] doing less talking and having less fancy conferences in europe and get in a boat this is much more their [7:07] fight than ours on this core mission america's will is unshakable our capabilities unmatched our blockade [7:16] is only growing and going global and as the president said we have all the time in the world iran has a [7:25] historic chance to make a serious deal and the ball is in their court either way the war department [7:36] stands ready for what comes next locked and loaded may god continue to bless our warriors each and every day [7:46] and on each and every mission