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Yeah . Well , thank 

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you for joining us this morning . Last 

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night on President Trump's orders , US 

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Central Command conducted a precision 

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strike in the middle of the night 

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against 3 nuclear facilities in Iran , 

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Fordow , Natanz , and Esfahan in order 

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to destroy . Or severely degrade Iran's 

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nuclear program and as the Chairman of 

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the Joint Chiefs will demonstrate , it 

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was an incredible and overwhelming 

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success . The order we received from 

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our commander in chief was focused . It 

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was powerful and it was clear . We 

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devastated the Iranian nuclear program . 

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But it's worth noting the operation did 

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not target Iranian troops or the 

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Iranian people . For the entirety of 

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his time in office , President Trump 

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has consistently stated for over 10 

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years . That Iran must not get a 

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nuclear weapon , full stop . Thanks to 

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President Trump's bold and visionary 

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leadership and his commitment to peace 

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through strength , Iran's nuclear 

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ambitions have been obliterated . 

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Many presidents have dreamed of 

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delivering the final blow to Iran's 

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nuclear program . And none could 

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Until President Trump . The operation 

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President Trump planned was bold , and 

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it was brilliant . Showing the world 

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that American deterrence is back 

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when this president speaks , the world 

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should listen and the US military . We 

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can back it up . The most powerful 

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military the world has ever known . No 

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other country on planet Earth could 

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have conducted the operation that the 

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chairman is gonna outline this morning , 

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not even close . Um , just 

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like Soleimani found out in the first 

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term , Iran found out when POTUS says 

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60 days that he seeks peace and 

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negotiation , he means 60 days of peace 

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and negotiation , otherwise . That 

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nuclear program , that nuclear 

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capability will not exist . He meant it . 

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This is not the previous administration . 

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The President Trump said no nukes . 

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He seeks peace And Iran should take 

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that path . Uh , he sent out a truth 

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last night saying this . Any 

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retaliation by Iran against the United 

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States of America will be met with 

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force far greater than what was 

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witnessed tonight . Signed the 

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President of the United States Donald J . 

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Trump . Iran would be smart to heed 

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those words . He's said it before and 

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he means it . I wanna give recognition 

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to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of 

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Staff , uh , the joint staff , General 

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Eric Corilla at CENTCOM , who did a 

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phenomenal job , he and his staff , all 

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of CENTCOM policy across the board . 

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This was a joint effort and across the 

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Pentagon effort . I want to recognize 

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the pilots . Who flew those bombers . 

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Who flew those fighters , who flew 

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those refuelers . Warriors . I want to 

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recognize the sailors on those 

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destroyers in those subs on those 

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carriers , warriors , all of them . I 

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wanna recognize our soldiers doing air 

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defense , base defense QRF warriors , 

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all of them every American involved in 

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this operation performed flawlessly . 

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And I wanna give recognition to our 

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allies in Israel as well . This is a 

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plan that took months and weeks of 

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positioning and preparation so that we 

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could be ready when the President of 

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the United States called . It took a 

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great deal of precision . It involved 

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misdirection . And the highest 

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of operational security . Our B-2s 

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went in and out of downtown Tehran , 

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not Tehran , excuse me , of these 

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nuclear sites in and out and back 

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without the world knowing at all . In 

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that way , it was historic . A strike 

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that included the longest B-2 spirit 

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bomber mission since 2001 and the first 

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operational employment of the MOP . A 

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massive ordinance penetrator . The 

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mission demonstrated to the world , the 

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level of joint and allied integration 

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that speak to the strength of our 

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alliance and our joint forces . As 

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President Trump has stated , the United 

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States does not seek war , but let me 

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be clear . We will act swiftly and 

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decisively when our people , our 

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partners , or our interests are 

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threatened . Iran should listen to the 

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president of the United States and know 

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that he means it , every word . I want 

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to give congratulations to our 

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commander in chief . It was an honor to 

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watch him lead last night and 

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throughout and to our great American 

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warriors on this successful operation . 

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God bless our troops . God bless 

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America , and we give glory to God for 

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His providence and continue to ask for 

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his protection . I turned it over now 

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to the chairman for specifics . Thank 

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you , Mr . Secretary . Thanks for , uh , 

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recognizing , uh , all of our , uh , 

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our , our folks out there doing our 

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nation's work and , uh , nice to see 

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everybody on this early Sunday morning . 

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Last night on the president's orders , 

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US Central Command under the command of 

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General Eric Corella executed Operation 

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Midnight Hammer , a deliberate and 

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precise strike against three Iranian 

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nuclear facilities . This was a complex 

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and high risk mission carried out with 

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exceptional skill and discipline by our 

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joint force . I wanna thank every 

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service member , planner , operator 

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that made this mission possible . Their 

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actions reflect the highest standards 

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of the United States Armed Forces . 

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This operation was designed to severely 

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degrade , uh , Iran's nuclear weapons 

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infrastructure . It was planned . And 

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executed across multiple domains and 

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theaters with coordination that 

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reflects our ability to project power 

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globally with speed and precision at 

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the time and place of our nation's 

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choosing . This was a highly classified 

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mission with very few people in 

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Washington knowing the timing or nature 

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of this plan . Uh , I'll refer you to 

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the graphic on the side as I walk you 

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through some of the operational details . 

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At midnight Friday into Saturday 

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morning , a large B-2 strike package 

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comprised of bombers launched from the 

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continental United States as part of a 

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plan to maintain tactical surprise , 

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part of the package proceeded to the 

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west and into the Pacific as a decoy , 

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a deception effort , uh , known only to 

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an extremely small number of planners 

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and key leaders here in Washington and 

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in Tampa . The main strike package 

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comprised of 7 B-2 Spirit bombers , 

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each with 2 crew members , proceeded 

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quietly to the east with minimal 

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communications . Throughout the 18 hour 

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flight into the target area , the 

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aircraft completed multiple in-flight 

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refuelings . Once over land , the 

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B-2s linked up with and support 

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aircraft in a complex , tightly timed 

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maneuver requiring exact 

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synchronization across multiple 

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platforms in a narrow piece of airspace , 

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all done with minimal communications . 

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This type of integration is exactly 

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what our joint force does better than 

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anyone else in the world . At 

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approximately 50 p.m. Eastern Standard 

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Time last night and just prior to the 

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strike package entering Iran , a US 

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submarine in the Central Command area 

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of responsibility launched more than 2 

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dozen Tomahawk land attack cruise 

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missiles against key surface 

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infrastructure targets at Esfahan . As 

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the Operation Midnight Hammer strike 

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package entered Iranian airspace , the 

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US employed several deception tactics , 

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including decoys , as the 4th and 5th 

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generation aircraft pushed out in front 

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of the strike package at high altitude 

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and high speed , sweeping in front of 

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the package for enemy fighters and 

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surface to air missile threats . The 

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strike package was supported by US 

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Strategic Command . US Transportation 

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Command , US Cyber Command , US Space 

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Command , US Space Force , and US 

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European Command . As the strike 

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package approached for Doe and Natanz , 

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the US protection package employed 

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high-speed suppression weapons to 

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ensure safe passage of the strike 

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package with fighter assets employing 

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preemptive suppressing fires against 

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any potential Iranian surface to air 

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threats . We are currently unaware of 

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any shots fired at the US strike 

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package on the way in . At 

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approximately 6:40 p.m. Eastern 

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Standard Time , 2:10 a.m. 

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Iran time , the lead B-2 dropped 2 

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GBU-57 massive ordinance penetrator 

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weapons on the first of several aim 

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points at Fordaux , as the president 

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stated last night , the remaining 

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bombers then hit their targets as well , 

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with a total of 14 mops dropped against 

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two nuclear target areas . All three 

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Iranian nuclear infrastructure targets 

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were struck between 6:40 p.m. and 

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7:05 p.m. Eastern time . Again , that's 

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about 2:10 in the morning local time in 

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Iran with the Tomahawk missiles being 

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the last to strike at Esfahan to ensure 

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we retain the element of surprise 

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throughout the operation . Following 

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weapons release , the midnight hammer 

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strike package exited Iranian airspace , 

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and the package began its return home . 

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We are unaware of any shots fired at 

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the package on the way out . Iran's 

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fighters did not fly , and it appears 

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that Iran's surface to air missile 

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systems did not see us throughout the 

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mission we retained the element of 

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surprise . In total , US forces 

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employed approximately 75 precision 

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guided weapons during this operation . 

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This included , as the president stated 

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last night , 14 30,000 pound GBU-57 

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massive ordinance penetrators marking 

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the first ever operational use of this 

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weapon . I know that battle damage is 

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of great interest . Final battle damage 

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will take some time , but initial 

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battle damage assessments indicate that 

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all three sites sustained extremely 

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severe damage and destruction . More 

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than 125 US aircraft participated 

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in this mission , including B-2 stealth 

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bombers , multiple flights of 4th and 

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5th generation fighters , dozens and 

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dozens of air refueling tankers , a 

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guided missile submarine , and a full 

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array of intelligence , surveillance , 

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and reconnaissance aircraft , as well 

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as hundreds of maintenance and 

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operational professionals . As the 

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secretary said , this was the largest 

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B2 operational strike in US history 

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and the second longest B-2 mission ever 

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flown , exceeded only by those in the 

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days following 9/11 . Well , prior 

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to the strike , General Corella 

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elevated force protection measures 

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across the region , especially in Iraq , 

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Syria , and the Gulf . Our forces 

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remain on high alert and are fully 

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postured to respond to any Iranian 

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retaliation or proxy attacks , which 

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would be an incredibly poor choice . 

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We will defend ourselves . The safety 

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of our service members and civilians 

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remains our highest priority . This 

277
00:12:59,330 --> 00:13:01,479
mission demonstrates the unmatched 

278
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reach , coordination , and capability 

279
00:13:04,070 --> 00:13:06,599
of the United States military in just a 

280
00:13:06,599 --> 00:13:08,630
matter of weeks this went from 

281
00:13:08,630 --> 00:13:11,719
strategic planning to global execution . 

282
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This operation underscores the 

283
00:13:14,640 --> 00:13:17,520
unmatched capabilities and global reach 

284
00:13:17,520 --> 00:13:20,250
of the United States military as the 

285
00:13:20,250 --> 00:13:23,320
president clearly said last night , no 

286
00:13:23,320 --> 00:13:25,159
other in the military , no other 

287
00:13:25,159 --> 00:13:27,320
military in the world could have done 

288
00:13:27,320 --> 00:13:30,020
this . I joined the president and the 

289
00:13:30,020 --> 00:13:32,187
secretary in being incredibly proud of 

290
00:13:32,187 --> 00:13:35,460
the air crews , naval forces , cyber 

291
00:13:35,460 --> 00:13:37,760
operators , planners and support teams 

292
00:13:37,760 --> 00:13:39,816
and commanders who made this mission 

293
00:13:39,816 --> 00:13:42,090
possible . It is their skill , 

294
00:13:42,380 --> 00:13:45,099
discipline and team teamwork that makes 

295
00:13:45,099 --> 00:13:47,940
this operation possible . I am 

296
00:13:47,940 --> 00:13:50,809
particularly proud of our discipline 

297
00:13:50,809 --> 00:13:52,698
related to operational security , 

298
00:13:53,059 --> 00:13:55,226
something that was of great concern to 

299
00:13:55,226 --> 00:13:57,849
the president . The Secretary General 

300
00:13:57,849 --> 00:14:00,520
Corella and me , and we will continue 

301
00:14:00,729 --> 00:14:03,849
to focus on this as we stand here this 

302
00:14:03,849 --> 00:14:05,929
morning . Many assets are still 

303
00:14:05,929 --> 00:14:08,599
airborne and we have hundreds deployed . 

304
00:14:08,809 --> 00:14:10,976
I ask that we keep our war fighters on 

305
00:14:10,976 --> 00:14:13,450
their way home , uh , and our deployed 

306
00:14:13,450 --> 00:14:16,169
service member in our thoughts . Our 

307
00:14:16,169 --> 00:14:18,409
joint force remains ready to defend the 

308
00:14:18,409 --> 00:14:20,849
United States , our troops , and our 

309
00:14:20,849 --> 00:14:22,849
interests in the region . Thank you 

310
00:14:22,849 --> 00:14:25,789
very much . Uh , we will take a few 

311
00:14:25,789 --> 00:14:29,549
questions , Phil , yeah , um , so is 

312
00:14:29,549 --> 00:14:31,493
regime change off the table , Mr . 

313
00:14:31,493 --> 00:14:33,660
Secretary , and to the chairman , um , 

314
00:14:33,660 --> 00:14:35,660
you know , you , you , you said the 

315
00:14:35,660 --> 00:14:37,549
battle damage assessment is still 

316
00:14:37,549 --> 00:14:39,716
ongoing , but do you believe that some 

317
00:14:39,716 --> 00:14:42,549
nuclear capability in Iran remains ? Um , 

318
00:14:43,450 --> 00:14:45,650
this mission was not and has not been 

319
00:14:45,650 --> 00:14:48,530
about regime change . The president 

320
00:14:48,530 --> 00:14:51,890
authorized a precision operation . To 

321
00:14:51,890 --> 00:14:54,130
neutralize the threats to our national 

322
00:14:54,130 --> 00:14:56,840
interests posed by the Iranian nuclear 

323
00:14:56,840 --> 00:14:58,929
program . And the collective self 

324
00:14:58,929 --> 00:15:01,789
defense of our troops and our ally 

325
00:15:01,789 --> 00:15:05,609
Israel . Uh , thanks for your question . 

326
00:15:05,739 --> 00:15:07,940
I think BDA is , is still pending and 

327
00:15:07,940 --> 00:15:09,940
it would be way too early for me to 

328
00:15:09,940 --> 00:15:12,162
comment on what may or may not still be 

329
00:15:12,162 --> 00:15:14,273
there , but thanks for the question , 

330
00:15:14,273 --> 00:15:16,609
uh , green . Green , no behind you . 

331
00:15:17,859 --> 00:15:19,915
Excuse me , Mr . Secretary , can you 

332
00:15:19,915 --> 00:15:22,137
tell me , was there a particular moment 

333
00:15:22,137 --> 00:15:24,303
when the president decided to pull the 

334
00:15:24,303 --> 00:15:26,526
trigger on this operation where he said 

335
00:15:26,526 --> 00:15:28,470
now rather than being , you know , 

336
00:15:28,470 --> 00:15:30,526
something in the holster , now we're 

337
00:15:30,526 --> 00:15:30,409
gonna pull the trigger on . Uh , I 

338
00:15:30,409 --> 00:15:32,520
would just say having the opportunity 

339
00:15:32,520 --> 00:15:34,929
to witness , um , his leadership , he 

340
00:15:34,929 --> 00:15:36,762
was fully committed to the peace 

341
00:15:36,762 --> 00:15:39,090
process , wanted , wanted , uh , a 

342
00:15:39,090 --> 00:15:41,570
negotiated outcome , gave Iran every 

343
00:15:41,570 --> 00:15:43,849
single opportunity , and unfortunately 

344
00:15:43,849 --> 00:15:46,016
was met by stonewalling , which is why 

345
00:15:46,016 --> 00:15:47,849
he . Gave them plenty of time to 

346
00:15:47,849 --> 00:15:50,016
continue to come to the table and give 

347
00:15:50,016 --> 00:15:52,016
up enrichment , give up the nuclear 

348
00:15:52,016 --> 00:15:53,960
program , uh , but there was a , I 

349
00:15:53,960 --> 00:15:56,071
won't say the particular moment there 

350
00:15:56,071 --> 00:15:55,739
was certainly a moment in time where he 

351
00:15:55,739 --> 00:15:58,460
realized uh that it had to be a certain 

352
00:15:58,460 --> 00:16:00,571
action taken in order to minimize the 

353
00:16:00,571 --> 00:16:04,159
threat to us and our troops . Yeah . 

354
00:16:04,729 --> 00:16:07,010
General , you say that General Corea 

355
00:16:07,010 --> 00:16:09,130
increased force protection in Iraq , 

356
00:16:09,210 --> 00:16:11,909
Syria , and Gulf in those areas . We 

357
00:16:11,909 --> 00:16:14,131
were they given any advance warning the 

358
00:16:14,131 --> 00:16:16,242
attacks were coming ? And also , uh , 

359
00:16:16,242 --> 00:16:17,770
Mr . Secretary , when were 

360
00:16:17,770 --> 00:16:20,179
congressional leaders notified how long 

361
00:16:20,179 --> 00:16:23,320
before the attacks took place ? Sir , 

362
00:16:23,400 --> 00:16:25,622
to your , uh , to your first question , 

363
00:16:25,622 --> 00:16:27,733
you know , the , the risk has clearly 

364
00:16:27,733 --> 00:16:29,844
been rising over the last few weeks , 

365
00:16:29,844 --> 00:16:32,067
uh , in the region , uh , based on that 

366
00:16:32,067 --> 00:16:34,233
and not a particular awareness of this 

367
00:16:34,233 --> 00:16:36,320
operation , uh , we've made smart 

368
00:16:36,320 --> 00:16:38,679
decisions to minimize the risk to US 

369
00:16:38,679 --> 00:16:40,840
forces in the region . No advance 

370
00:16:40,840 --> 00:16:44,210
warning , no sir . In congressional , 

371
00:16:44,390 --> 00:16:46,619
uh , they were , they were notified 

372
00:16:46,619 --> 00:16:49,270
after the planes were safely out . Well 

373
00:16:49,270 --> 00:16:50,826
we complied with , uh , the 

374
00:16:50,826 --> 00:16:52,881
notification requirements of the War 

375
00:16:52,881 --> 00:16:55,048
Powers Act . They were notified . They 

376
00:16:55,048 --> 00:16:58,049
were immediately thereafter . Yes , 

377
00:16:58,090 --> 00:16:59,090
thank you . 

378
00:17:02,080 --> 00:17:04,469
We believe you completely destroyed 

379
00:17:04,469 --> 00:17:07,479
Iranian nuclear programs , and how 

380
00:17:07,479 --> 00:17:10,489
about Iranian ballistic missiles ? Your 

381
00:17:10,489 --> 00:17:14,199
ally Israel always saying that is the 

382
00:17:14,770 --> 00:17:17,329
biggest threat . And second question is 

383
00:17:17,329 --> 00:17:20,650
very important what will be your 

384
00:17:20,650 --> 00:17:23,729
next step ? If Iran or 

385
00:17:23,729 --> 00:17:26,928
militias under Iranian influence in the 

386
00:17:26,928 --> 00:17:30,208
region attack US interests or 

387
00:17:30,208 --> 00:17:33,569
allies in the region . Um , and you can 

388
00:17:33,569 --> 00:17:35,736
chime in on this too , Mr . Chairman . 

389
00:17:35,736 --> 00:17:37,791
Um , the battle damage assessment is 

390
00:17:37,791 --> 00:17:39,958
ongoing , but our initial assessment , 

391
00:17:39,958 --> 00:17:42,069
as the chairman said , is that all of 

392
00:17:42,069 --> 00:17:44,291
our precision munitions struck where we 

393
00:17:44,291 --> 00:17:46,180
wanted them to strike and had the 

394
00:17:46,180 --> 00:17:48,069
desired effect , uh , which means 

395
00:17:48,069 --> 00:17:50,125
especially in Fordow , which was the 

396
00:17:50,125 --> 00:17:52,125
primary target here , we believe we 

397
00:17:52,125 --> 00:17:54,180
achieved destruction of capabilities 

398
00:17:54,180 --> 00:17:56,479
there . Um , ultimately wherever it may 

399
00:17:56,479 --> 00:17:59,250
be , whether it's in Iraq or Syria or 

400
00:17:59,250 --> 00:18:01,239
bases in the Gulf , um , as the 

401
00:18:01,239 --> 00:18:03,406
president said it would be , or excuse 

402
00:18:03,406 --> 00:18:05,628
me , as the chairman said it would be a 

403
00:18:05,628 --> 00:18:07,739
very bad idea for Iran or its proxies 

404
00:18:07,739 --> 00:18:09,906
to attempt to attack American forces . 

405
00:18:11,250 --> 00:18:14,040
Yes . Thank you , Mr . Secretary . Uh 

406
00:18:14,040 --> 00:18:17,199
regarding retaliation , uh , Iran and 

407
00:18:17,199 --> 00:18:20,439
North Korea are cooperating on nuclear 

408
00:18:20,439 --> 00:18:24,079
and missile development . Do you think 

409
00:18:24,079 --> 00:18:26,910
there is a possibility that Iran , 

410
00:18:27,170 --> 00:18:30,560
North Korea , and the other forces such 

411
00:18:30,560 --> 00:18:34,530
as China will join forces to 

412
00:18:34,530 --> 00:18:38,359
retaliate against the United States . 

413
00:18:39,349 --> 00:18:41,349
Well , unfortunately because of the 

414
00:18:41,349 --> 00:18:42,905
policies under the previous 

415
00:18:42,905 --> 00:18:45,127
administration we drove those countries 

416
00:18:45,127 --> 00:18:48,540
together um and ultimately uh that 

417
00:18:48,760 --> 00:18:50,871
creates a challenging environment for 

418
00:18:50,871 --> 00:18:53,038
this particular operation the focus is 

419
00:18:53,038 --> 00:18:54,593
on Iran and Iranian nuclear 

420
00:18:54,593 --> 00:18:56,704
capabilities that's our focus here is 

421
00:18:56,704 --> 00:18:58,871
to not just say that they can't have , 

422
00:18:58,871 --> 00:19:01,038
but President Trump has said from over 

423
00:19:01,038 --> 00:19:03,400
20 years , frankly Iran cannot have a 

424
00:19:03,400 --> 00:19:05,479
nuclear weapon and ultimately he 

425
00:19:05,479 --> 00:19:07,646
decided this is the moment given their 

426
00:19:07,646 --> 00:19:09,709
stonewalling . When direct military 

427
00:19:09,709 --> 00:19:12,010
action had to be taken to prevent that 

428
00:19:12,010 --> 00:19:14,719
from happening . Yes , thank you very 

429
00:19:14,719 --> 00:19:17,099
much , uh , General Keane . I 

430
00:19:17,099 --> 00:19:19,321
understand OPSEC . I respect OSAC . Can 

431
00:19:19,321 --> 00:19:22,489
you say at all what security procedures 

432
00:19:22,489 --> 00:19:25,130
are being taken to protect US troops in 

433
00:19:25,130 --> 00:19:27,352
Iraq and elsewhere in the Middle East ? 

434
00:19:27,352 --> 00:19:29,569
And Secretary Heeth , as a global war 

435
00:19:29,569 --> 00:19:32,010
on terrorism veteran , what do you say 

436
00:19:32,010 --> 00:19:34,232
to veterans who may be concerned the US 

437
00:19:34,232 --> 00:19:36,399
is getting into another open-ended war 

438
00:19:36,399 --> 00:19:38,621
in the Middle East over weapons of mass 

439
00:19:38,621 --> 00:19:40,732
destruction ? Uh , thanks , sir , for 

440
00:19:40,732 --> 00:19:42,954
the question . Um , I , I won't comment 

441
00:19:42,954 --> 00:19:45,177
on what force protection measures are , 

442
00:19:45,177 --> 00:19:47,232
are being taken in the region . Uh , 

443
00:19:47,250 --> 00:19:49,361
what I will say is we're being , uh , 

444
00:19:49,361 --> 00:19:52,849
proactive and not reactive , um , and 

445
00:19:52,849 --> 00:19:54,905
being very thoughtful about ensuring 

446
00:19:54,905 --> 00:19:57,016
that we do all that we can to protect 

447
00:19:57,016 --> 00:19:59,270
our forces out there . And I would just 

448
00:19:59,270 --> 00:20:01,109
say , uh , as the president has 

449
00:20:01,109 --> 00:20:03,165
directed and made clear this is most 

450
00:20:03,165 --> 00:20:05,670
certainly not open ended um it doesn't 

451
00:20:05,670 --> 00:20:08,060
mean it limits our ability to respond . 

452
00:20:08,310 --> 00:20:10,532
We will respond if necessary . The most 

453
00:20:10,532 --> 00:20:12,421
powerful military in the world is 

454
00:20:12,421 --> 00:20:14,421
postured and prepared to defend our 

455
00:20:14,421 --> 00:20:16,754
people . But what the president gave us , 

456
00:20:16,754 --> 00:20:18,921
as I said , was a focused , powerful , 

457
00:20:18,921 --> 00:20:21,143
and clear mission on the destruction of 

458
00:20:21,143 --> 00:20:23,550
Iranian nuclear capabilities . Those 

459
00:20:23,550 --> 00:20:25,494
were the targets . That's what was 

460
00:20:25,494 --> 00:20:27,383
struck that was overwhelming that 

461
00:20:27,383 --> 00:20:29,494
that's what was overwhelming . That's 

462
00:20:29,494 --> 00:20:31,328
what the Iranian regime needs to 

463
00:20:31,328 --> 00:20:33,606
understand as the president put it out , 

464
00:20:33,606 --> 00:20:35,717
put out last night . He wants peace . 

465
00:20:35,717 --> 00:20:35,349
There needs to be a negotiated 

466
00:20:35,349 --> 00:20:37,420
settlement here . We ultimately 

467
00:20:37,630 --> 00:20:39,686
demonstrated that Iran cannot have a 

468
00:20:39,686 --> 00:20:41,686
nuclear capability . That is a very 

469
00:20:41,686 --> 00:20:43,959
clear mission set on this operation . 

470
00:20:45,800 --> 00:20:48,078
Yes , um , hold on , yes , right there . 

471
00:20:49,739 --> 00:20:51,795
Uh , thank you , Mr . Secretary . um 

472
00:20:51,819 --> 00:20:54,097
question for uh the secretary and , uh , 

473
00:20:54,097 --> 00:20:56,739
the chairman , how was this strike 

474
00:20:56,739 --> 00:20:59,969
coordinated with the Israelis um on a 

475
00:20:59,969 --> 00:21:02,819
strategic level militarily , um , and 

476
00:21:02,819 --> 00:21:05,099
on a tactical level , was there any 

477
00:21:05,099 --> 00:21:07,849
direct Israeli military participation 

478
00:21:07,849 --> 00:21:11,609
in this operation ? Well I would 

479
00:21:11,609 --> 00:21:15,339
say um certainly Israel had uh an 

480
00:21:15,339 --> 00:21:17,979
incredible military success , 

481
00:21:18,209 --> 00:21:20,431
especially at the beginning and ongoing 

482
00:21:20,431 --> 00:21:23,500
in degrading Iranian capabilities in 

483
00:21:23,500 --> 00:21:26,319
degrading Iranian launchers , MRBMs , 

484
00:21:26,329 --> 00:21:28,551
uh , it's been incredible to watch what 

485
00:21:28,551 --> 00:21:30,662
our ally Israel has been able to do , 

486
00:21:30,810 --> 00:21:32,754
uh , and there certainly have been 

487
00:21:32,754 --> 00:21:34,977
conversations . I mean , General Krilla 

488
00:21:34,977 --> 00:21:36,977
at CETCOM has worked closely in the 

489
00:21:36,977 --> 00:21:39,199
defense of Israel for many years , uh , 

490
00:21:39,199 --> 00:21:41,254
and part of this operation was . The 

491
00:21:41,254 --> 00:21:43,143
defense of Israel and the ongoing 

492
00:21:43,143 --> 00:21:45,310
defense of Israel , but as it pertains 

493
00:21:45,310 --> 00:21:47,421
to this strike , this was US operated 

494
00:21:47,421 --> 00:21:49,849
and US led . We , we took advantage of 

495
00:21:49,849 --> 00:21:51,849
some of the preparatory work that's 

496
00:21:51,849 --> 00:21:54,071
been done over the past , uh , week and 

497
00:21:54,071 --> 00:21:56,079
a half , uh , in terms of access of 

498
00:21:56,079 --> 00:21:57,857
approach . I won't get into the 

499
00:21:57,857 --> 00:22:00,190
particulars , but as the secretary said , 

500
00:22:00,190 --> 00:22:02,910
it was a , it was a US strike , um , uh , 

501
00:22:02,930 --> 00:22:04,986
we , we made sure we were not in the 

502
00:22:04,986 --> 00:22:07,041
same piece of airspace and sky aside 

503
00:22:07,041 --> 00:22:09,263
from that , that was the extent of it . 

504
00:22:09,520 --> 00:22:11,742
We'll take a couple more , yeah , right 

505
00:22:11,742 --> 00:22:13,742
there , uh , question the secretary 

506
00:22:13,742 --> 00:22:15,798
first , are you concerned whatsoever 

507
00:22:15,798 --> 00:22:17,909
now about the reaction from US allies 

508
00:22:17,909 --> 00:22:20,020
given the strike , particularly those 

509
00:22:20,020 --> 00:22:22,187
in the Gulf and to the chairman , if I 

510
00:22:22,187 --> 00:22:24,353
may , uh , I understand you don't want 

511
00:22:24,353 --> 00:22:26,464
to speak to specific assets and force 

512
00:22:26,464 --> 00:22:26,189
protection measures , but do you 

513
00:22:26,189 --> 00:22:28,356
anticipate at least having to bring in 

514
00:22:28,356 --> 00:22:30,522
any further assets from other theaters 

515
00:22:30,522 --> 00:22:32,522
to aid in force protection over the 

516
00:22:32,522 --> 00:22:35,500
coming days ? Um , we certainly 

517
00:22:35,500 --> 00:22:37,667
understand the challenges of allies in 

518
00:22:37,667 --> 00:22:39,611
the region and , um , we have been 

519
00:22:39,611 --> 00:22:41,222
respectful and in working in 

520
00:22:41,222 --> 00:22:43,389
collaboration with them as it pertains 

521
00:22:43,389 --> 00:22:45,611
to basing and , and , and sensitivities 

522
00:22:45,611 --> 00:22:47,722
there , um , ultimately they've got a 

523
00:22:47,722 --> 00:22:49,611
lot of assets and people in those 

524
00:22:49,611 --> 00:22:51,667
locations also where American troops 

525
00:22:51,667 --> 00:22:53,278
are co-located so that's a a 

526
00:22:53,278 --> 00:22:55,278
consideration of ours we've been in 

527
00:22:55,278 --> 00:22:57,278
close consultation with them and we 

528
00:22:57,278 --> 00:22:59,611
appreciate the support that we have got . 

529
00:22:59,611 --> 00:22:59,579
Thanks for the question on on sort of 

530
00:22:59,579 --> 00:23:01,523
the global picture and as you know 

531
00:23:01,523 --> 00:23:03,357
that's one of my jobs is to look 

532
00:23:03,357 --> 00:23:05,709
globally at . At the entire , uh , 

533
00:23:05,719 --> 00:23:08,189
range of challenges we , we are always 

534
00:23:08,189 --> 00:23:11,449
carefully considering our force posture 

535
00:23:11,449 --> 00:23:13,290
around the world , uh , and then 

536
00:23:13,290 --> 00:23:16,050
offering options to the secretary and 

537
00:23:16,050 --> 00:23:18,329
to the president . Um , I , I won't 

538
00:23:18,329 --> 00:23:20,385
comment on any future things , but , 

539
00:23:20,400 --> 00:23:22,400
but the American people should know 

540
00:23:22,400 --> 00:23:24,344
that we carefully . Consider those 

541
00:23:24,344 --> 00:23:26,456
moves , uh , around the world and try 

542
00:23:26,456 --> 00:23:29,944
to uh modulate as needed our force 

543
00:23:29,944 --> 00:23:32,484
structure in the , in the region . yeah 

544
00:23:32,484 --> 00:23:34,428
right here . Thank you . Um , what 

545
00:23:34,428 --> 00:23:36,484
communications are being sent to the 

546
00:23:36,484 --> 00:23:38,484
Iranians right now and is there any 

547
00:23:38,484 --> 00:23:40,651
possibility of diplomacy now or in the 

548
00:23:40,651 --> 00:23:43,310
coming days ? I can , I can only 

549
00:23:43,310 --> 00:23:45,477
confirm that there are both public and 

550
00:23:45,477 --> 00:23:47,254
private messages being directly 

551
00:23:47,254 --> 00:23:49,366
delivered to the Iranians in multiple 

552
00:23:49,366 --> 00:23:50,977
channels , giving them every 

553
00:23:50,977 --> 00:23:53,640
opportunity to come to the table . They 

554
00:23:53,640 --> 00:23:55,807
understand precisely what the American 

555
00:23:55,807 --> 00:23:58,920
position is , precisely what steps they 

556
00:23:58,920 --> 00:24:01,359
can take to allow for peace , and we 

557
00:24:01,359 --> 00:24:04,339
hope they do so . Yes . 

558
00:24:05,150 --> 00:24:06,817
The president may not want an 

559
00:24:06,817 --> 00:24:09,569
open-ended conflict . Uh , the Iranians 

560
00:24:09,569 --> 00:24:11,680
may disagree . Are you prepared for a 

561
00:24:11,680 --> 00:24:15,439
protracted war ? Well , um , anything 

562
00:24:15,439 --> 00:24:17,550
can happen in conflict we acknowledge 

563
00:24:17,550 --> 00:24:19,383
that , but the scope of this was 

564
00:24:19,383 --> 00:24:21,328
intentionally limited . That's the 

565
00:24:21,328 --> 00:24:23,495
message that we're sending , uh , with 

566
00:24:23,495 --> 00:24:23,319
the capabilities of the American 

567
00:24:23,319 --> 00:24:25,880
military nearly unlimited , uh , so 

568
00:24:25,880 --> 00:24:28,550
Iran in that sense has a choice , uh , 

569
00:24:28,609 --> 00:24:30,829
but we've made it very clear to them 

570
00:24:30,829 --> 00:24:33,051
this is nuclear sites , this is nuclear 

571
00:24:33,051 --> 00:24:35,107
capabilities , this is the line that 

572
00:24:35,107 --> 00:24:37,599
the president set and we set that back 

573
00:24:37,599 --> 00:24:39,599
now is the time to come forward for 

574
00:24:39,599 --> 00:24:41,821
peace , but we . And I think but one of 

575
00:24:41,821 --> 00:24:43,988
the takeaways from this as well , uh , 

576
00:24:43,988 --> 00:24:46,099
is the unprecedented level of ongoing 

577
00:24:46,099 --> 00:24:48,043
cooperation . I can't speak highly 

578
00:24:48,043 --> 00:24:50,210
enough of the chairman and his staff , 

579
00:24:50,210 --> 00:24:52,321
uh , and General Corella in CENTCOM . 

580
00:24:52,609 --> 00:24:54,665
What they've done to look around the 

581
00:24:54,665 --> 00:24:56,890
corner to preposition to understand how 

582
00:24:56,890 --> 00:24:59,112
an operation like this comes together . 

583
00:24:59,349 --> 00:25:01,405
The scope and scale of what occurred 

584
00:25:01,405 --> 00:25:03,627
last night , uh , would take the breath 

585
00:25:03,627 --> 00:25:05,793
away of almost any American if you had 

586
00:25:05,793 --> 00:25:08,016
an opportunity to watch it in real time 

587
00:25:08,016 --> 00:25:09,960
uh and I think Tehran is certainly 

588
00:25:09,960 --> 00:25:12,619
calculating the reality that uh planes 

589
00:25:12,619 --> 00:25:14,619
flew from the middle of America and 

590
00:25:14,619 --> 00:25:16,397
Missouri overnight . Completely 

591
00:25:16,397 --> 00:25:18,397
undetected over three of their most 

592
00:25:18,397 --> 00:25:20,619
highly sensitive sites and we were able 

593
00:25:20,619 --> 00:25:23,074
to destroy nuclear capabilities and our 

594
00:25:23,074 --> 00:25:25,594
boys in those bombers are on their way 

595
00:25:25,594 --> 00:25:27,594
home right now . We believe that'll 

596
00:25:27,594 --> 00:25:29,875
have a clear psychological impact on 

597
00:25:29,875 --> 00:25:31,675
how they view the future and we 

598
00:25:31,675 --> 00:25:33,731
certainly hope they take the path of 

599
00:25:33,731 --> 00:25:35,842
negotiated peace , but I could not be 

600
00:25:35,842 --> 00:25:37,786
more proud of of how this building 

601
00:25:37,786 --> 00:25:40,969
operated of the uh the precision . The 

602
00:25:40,969 --> 00:25:43,136
sensitivity and the professionalism of 

603
00:25:43,136 --> 00:25:45,302
the troops involved in this effort . I 

604
00:25:45,302 --> 00:25:47,358
will take one more , uh , we'll take 

605
00:25:47,358 --> 00:25:47,000
one more question , yes , right there . 

606
00:25:48,250 --> 00:25:50,750
Uh , thank you , um , Mr . Secretary , 

607
00:25:50,930 --> 00:25:53,369
uh , concerning the justification for 

608
00:25:53,369 --> 00:25:56,130
these strikes in March , uh , the 

609
00:25:56,130 --> 00:25:58,250
Office of the Director of National 

610
00:25:58,250 --> 00:26:00,194
Intelligence released their threat 

611
00:26:00,194 --> 00:26:02,361
assessment , uh , concluding , quote , 

612
00:26:02,609 --> 00:26:04,831
Iran is not building a nuclear weapon . 

613
00:26:05,310 --> 00:26:08,349
And Khomeini has not authorized the 

614
00:26:08,349 --> 00:26:11,800
nuclear programs he suspended in 2003 , 

615
00:26:12,770 --> 00:26:14,992
unquote . So what new intelligence does 

616
00:26:14,992 --> 00:26:17,349
the US have since then that the 

617
00:26:17,349 --> 00:26:19,571
Iranians have changed their position on 

618
00:26:19,571 --> 00:26:21,989
nuclear weapons ? And does this new 

619
00:26:21,989 --> 00:26:24,100
intelligence come from US sources and 

620
00:26:24,100 --> 00:26:25,933
methods , or are we getting this 

621
00:26:25,933 --> 00:26:29,160
information from other countries ? Well 

622
00:26:29,160 --> 00:26:30,993
I would just simply say that the 

623
00:26:30,993 --> 00:26:32,993
president's made it very clear he's 

624
00:26:32,993 --> 00:26:34,938
looked at all of this , all of the 

625
00:26:34,938 --> 00:26:37,271
intelligence , all the information , uh , 

626
00:26:37,271 --> 00:26:37,199
and come to the conclusion that the 

627
00:26:37,199 --> 00:26:39,630
Iranian nuclear program is a threat , 

628
00:26:40,199 --> 00:26:42,430
uh , and was willing to take , uh , 

629
00:26:42,439 --> 00:26:44,640
this precision operation to neutralize 

630
00:26:44,640 --> 00:26:46,569
that threat in order to advance 

631
00:26:46,569 --> 00:26:48,736
American national interests and reduce 

632
00:26:48,736 --> 00:26:50,625
the Iranian nuclear program , and 

633
00:26:50,625 --> 00:26:52,680
obviously collective self defense of 

634
00:26:52,680 --> 00:26:54,902
ourselves and our allies , so he looked 

635
00:26:54,902 --> 00:26:54,640
at all of it . Understood the nature of 

636
00:26:54,640 --> 00:26:56,862
the threat and took bold action I think 

637
00:26:56,862 --> 00:26:59,029
the American people uh would expect in 

638
00:26:59,029 --> 00:27:01,140
a commander in chief that's all we've 

639
00:27:01,140 --> 00:27:03,362
got thank you very much appreciate it , 

640
00:27:03,362 --> 00:27:06,290
Mr . Chairman . Chairman , do you have 

641
00:27:06,290 --> 00:27:06,500
any .