War Secretary Pete Hegseth told reporters on Monday that Iran would face its heaviest round of US strikes ahead of Trump’s deadline for Iran to make a deal and reopen the Strait of Hormuz or face “complete demolition.”
President Trump held a press conference on Monday with Secretary Hegseth, Joint Chiefs Chairman General Dan Caine, and CIA Director John Rattcliffe, following the successful search and rescue operation for the crew of an F-15 Strike Eagle fighter jet that was shot down last week over Iran.
While discussing the mission to rescue two downed Airmen in Iran over the weekend, Hegseth praised God for the successful mission and the Easter miracle, commending the brave heroes’ “faith and fighting spirit.” The pilot who was stranded for nearly 50 hours in enemy territory, Hegseth said, sent his first message, after surviving the incident and making it to safety, from inside Iran on his emergency transponder, saying “Good is good.”
He further revealed that the President had ordered “the largest volume of strikes since day one of this operation” before tomorrow’s deadline, where bombs will rain down “even more than today.”
“And then Iran has a choice. Choose wisely because this President does not play around. You can ask Soleimani, you can ask Maduro, you can ask Khamenei,” Hegseth declared.
As The Gateway Pundit reported earlier, President Trump also threatened during the press conference that he could completely destroy Iran in one night, “and that night might be tomorrow night.”
“Every bridge in Iran will be decimated by 12 o’clock tomorrow night,” and “every power plant in Iran will be out of business, burning, exploding, and never to be used again,” Trump said.
WATCH: “We’re Going to Bring Them Back to the Stone Ages” – Trump Says Iran Strikes Will Continue and All Objectives Will Be Completed “Very Shortly”, Suggests He Will Let the Strait of Hormuz Reopen “Naturally”
Hegseth confirmed the orders he received to execute a major strike on Iran on Tuesday at 8 pm.
WATCH:
Transcript:
Ladies and gentlemen, fellow Americans, and especially the brave warriors in our armed forces. Over this Easter weekend, the United States military has once again proved why we possess the greatest fighting force the world has ever known. In two extraordinary combat search and rescue operations deep inside enemy territory in Iran, our warriors executed missions of breathtaking skill, courage, and precision.
When our warriors are unleashed, as this President has allowed them to be, they are unstoppable. When American Airmen were down behind enemy lines, our forces and our President did not hesitate. Special Operators, supported by elite air crews and intelligence professionals, moved swiftly and decisively into treacherous mountain terrain under the constant threat of Iranian forces closing in. Ultimately, it was an impotent Iranian threat.
And today, as the CIA director mentioned, Iran’s military, and we know this, is embarrassed and humiliated, and they should be. Now, these are not routine operations. They were high-risk, high-stakes missions conducted in the heart of enemy territory. This was not just barely into Iran. This was deep into Iran, involving coordinated strikes to suppress threats, deception tactics to protect our teams, and full synchronization across air, ground, and special operations.
The Iranians are still asking themselves right now, how did the Americans do this? One downed Airman evaded capture for more than a day, scaling rugged ridges while hunted by the enemy. When he was finally able to activate his emergency transponder, his first message was simple, and it was powerful. He sent a message: “God is good.”
In that moment of isolation and danger, his faith and fighting spirit shown through. You see, shot down on a Friday, Good Friday, hidden in a cave, a crevice, all of Saturday, and rescued on Sunday, flown out of Iran as the sun was rising on Easter Sunday. A pilot reborn, all home and accounted for, a nation rejoicing. God is good. Despite incoming fire and unforgiving conditions, our troops brought every American home. No American lives were lost. We leave no man behind, and that is not luck.
It’s the result of unmatched training, superior technology and unbreakable warrior ethos and sheer American Grit. Our special operators, pilots, and support crews performed with near perfection under fire, and they were lethal. Just ask any Iranian soldier who dared attempt to get anywhere near that pilot before or during that mission– death from above.
From the moment our airmen went down, President Trump made it clear we will leave no one behind. The first mission, the first of two, was an audacious daylight, thunder run right up the middle. It was authorized in less than two hours from that pilot going down, when we knew where he was. And it was authorized in the middle of the night because anybody that’s worked for this man knows he’s up in the middle of the night, authorized immediately, without hesitation, audaciously.
The second mission as soon as we knew where that pilot was, and John was certainly helpful in that, also executed immediately. You know, I looked up at my screen when the final mission was complete inside our skiff, our secure facility, and we have a running VTC, a running coordination cell, and the top of it read 45 minutes and 45 hours and 56 minutes. For 45 hours and 56 minutes, we held that call open for coordination. From the moment our pilots went down, our mission was unblinking.
The call never dropped, the meeting never stopped, the planning never ceased. ThePresidentt demanded rapid, decisive action. He backed our military with the full weight of his resolve, refusing to let enemy propaganda or tactical setbacks deter us. His leadership ensured that every lethal and non lethal resource was brought to bear, that our forces had the authorities and the support they needed to succeed. When thePresidentt says he has the backs of our war fighters, he means it, and it means a great deal, and it’s a big difference on the battlefield.
President Trump understands that peace through strength is not a slogan. It is a doctrine that saves American lives. His unwavering commitment to rebuilding our military and restoring the warrior spirit has paid dividends in missions just like this one. Under his command, America Projects power with confidence and brings our people home with victory. And that continues today, by the way.
Per thePresident’ss direction, today will be the largest volume of strikes since day one of this operation. Tomorrow, even more than today. And then Iran has a choice. Choose wisely because thisPresidentt does not play around. You can ask Soleimani, you can ask Maduro, you can ask Khamenei.
To those heroes, who planned and executed these rescues, your nation stands in awe. I stand in awe. The chairman stands in awe. We all stand in awe of your professionalism and bravery. We serve for you. You embody the very best of America. To the rescued airmen and their families, welcome home. Your courage and endurance, the quiet declaration of faith amid the storm, inspires us all. God is good every day.
And to our adversaries watching from Tehran, let this be a clear message. The United States military will go anywhere at any time to protect our own and complete the mission. We execute with precision, we control the sky. You see, we flew for seven hours in daylight over Iran to get the first pilot, and we flew seven hours in the middle of the night to get the second, and Iran did nothing about it. We fight with honor and under President Trump’s leadership, we win. So God bless our troops. God bless President Trump and God bless the United States of America.
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