Secretary Pete Hegseth gave a press conference this morning, which you can watch below. The Secretary spoke about Iran’s nuclear weapons and past attacks on US soldiers. He said the regime has had a nuclear gun to our heads.
Hegseth said it is not a regime change war, but the regime did change. He talked about the numerous pathways to peace without Iran having a nuclear weapon that were offered to them. However, he said that Tehran used the talks only to delay.
Secretary Hegseth promised that this would not be an endless war. It is a decisive war to end a decisive threat. He portrayed Israel as having similar ambitions and working as good allies, unlike some who are afraid to use force.
The Secretary spoke directly to the soldiers and told them this was not a war of hubris; they were warriors now, not defenders.
He ended by calling on God to be with them.
General Cain then gave details of Operation Epic Fury after offering condolences to our heroes who died or were wounded.
An excerpt from Secretary Hegseth’s speech can be read below.
Excerpt from Sec. Hegseth’s Speech
“President Trump has been very consistent: crazy regimes like Iran, hell-bent on prophetic Islamist delusions, cannot have nuclear weapons. It’s common sense. Many have said it, but it takes guts to actually enforce it, and our president has guts. Iran’s stubborn and self-evident nuclear pursuits, their targeting of global shipping lanes, and their swelling arsenal of ballistic missiles and killer drones are no longer tolerable risks.
“Iran was building powerful missiles and drones to create a conventional shield for their nuclear blackmail ambitions. Let me say that again: a conventional shield for their nuclear blackmail ambitions, our bases, our people, our allies, all in their crosshairs. Iran had a conventional gun to our head as they tried to lie their way to a nuclear bomb. It almost worked under Obama and his terrible deal, but not under this President.
This is not a regime change war.
“Turns out the regime that chanted Death to America and death to Israel, was gifted death from America and death from Israel.
“This is not a so-called regime change war, but the regime sure did change, and the world is better off for it today. In their desperation, the enemy is unmasked as Iranian missiles and drones rain down indiscriminately on the hotels, airports, apartments, and other civilian targets of their neighbors, cowardly terrorist tactics for a regime that for decades has trafficked in cowardly terrorist tactics, lies, death, and destruction.
“To this day, the Iranian leadership has built nothing except proxies and missiles and drones and deeply buried nuclear factories and facilities. Peaceful nuclear ambitions do not need to be buried underneath mountains.
They wouldn’t make a deal.
Last June, Operation Midnight Hammer obliterated their nuclear program to rubble. Afterward, we told them plainly, that’s it. Now make a deal. They arrogantly refused. We said, “Rebuild it, and we’ll stop you again, this time, far worse.” President Trump, Secretary Rubio, Steve Witkoff, and Jared Kushner bent over backwards for real diplomacy, offering pathway after pathway to peace. I watched it. I was there. They tried, over and over and over again, earnest attempts at peace. The former regime had every chance to make a peaceful and sensible deal, but Tehran was not negotiating. They were stalling, buying time to reload their missile stockpiles and restart their nuclear ambitions, their goal being to hold us hostage, threatening to strike our forces. Well, President Trump doesn’t play those games.”
Those that desire to by the sword subject all other nations to their evil religious philosophy of hatred cannot be tolerated, and certainly not allowed nuclear and missile capability. Those that sponsor terrorism must likewise be destroyed,