On U.S. strikes against Iran, Pete Hegseth says, “this is only just the beginning”
With U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran of their second week, tonight, you’ll hear from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. According to the Pentagon, greater than 50,000 members of the U.S. army are concerned in the execution of what it calls “Operation Epic Fury.” Our CBS News colleague Major Garrett spoke with Hegseth about the struggle with Iran.
The U.S. army stated it had already struck 3,000 targets inside Iran once we met with Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on Friday.
Major Garrett: The speaker of the House stated late this week, “The mission is,” and I’m quoting him instantly right here, “nearly accomplished by all estimates.” Is that true?
Pete Hegseth: Oh, we’re very a lot on monitor, on plan. I used to be down at CENTCOM– yesterday–
Major Garrett: Someone would possibly hear that and assume it is nearly over–
Pete Hegseth: Well, there’s no– we’re not flying a mission achieved banner– like George W. Bush on– on an plane provider. We’re not doing that and we’ve not performed that. But we might be clear with the American folks that this is not a good combat.
And that is on goal. Our capabilities are overwhelming in comparison with what Iran’s are. And frankly, if you mix our Air Force with the air pressure of the Israeli Defense Forces, it is the two strongest air forces in the world.
The capacity for us to be up over the high and searching with extra typical munitions, gravity bombs, 500-pound, 1,000-pound, 2,000-pound bombs on army targets– that– we have not even actually begun to begin that effort of the marketing campaign, which is gonna showcase much more how– how we are going to execute on these aims.
Major Garrett: President stated just lately there shall be no cope with Iran besides unconditional give up. What does that appear to be, unconditional give up? How will you realize it is actual?
Pete Hegseth: It means we’re fightin’ to win. It means we set the phrases. We’ll know after they’re not able to combating. There’ll be some extent the place they’re going to haven’t any selection however to do this. Whe– whether or not they understand it or not, they are going to be combat-ineffective. They will give up.
Major Garrett: Typically the understanding of a give up is person-to-person. Is that what could be required in a matter like this?
Pete Hegseth: Well, there is a lotta alternative ways. Whether they wish to admit it or not, whether or not their pleasure lets them say it out loud or not– it is President Trump who will set the phrases of that.
The president of Iran stated yesterday that the U.S. demand for unconditional give up is, quote, “a dream that they should take to their grave.”
Major Garrett: There was a really lengthy struggle between Iran and Iraq, nearly eight years, and so they by no means surrendered in that struggle. And I’m just questioning if that components into your calculus or the president’s calculus as well–
Pete Hegseth: I imply, there was a extremely lengthy combat that I used to be part of, that my technology was part of.
Major Garrett: Yes. I do know that, sir.
Pete Hegseth: In Iraq and Afghanistan– the place a variety of silly approaches have been used. This is struggle. This is battle. This is bringing your enemy to their knees. Now, whether or not they may have a ceremony in– in– in Tehran Square and– and– and give up, that is as much as them.
There are various variations of how and why the struggle began when it did. Some usually enthusiastic supporters of the president have criticized him suggesting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pulled the U.S. right into a struggle that to their minds didn’t put American pursuits first.
Major Garrett: Do you wish to deal with that criticism?
Pete Hegseth: All I do know is, I’m in the room each day and I see how President Trump operates and what he is placing first, and it is America, Americans, and American pursuits
Major Garrett: It has been stated that the Israelis, by way of Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, offered on February twenty third key details about intelligence that they had developed about the doubtless whereabouts of Ali Khamenei and lots of in his interior circle.That the U.S. then checked it out by way of the CIA, confirmed that, and that was a possibility that introduced itself to the president. And that is the precipitating issue for this struggle. That’s the means it has been reported. Is that correct, Mr. Secretary?
Pete Hegseth: President Trump’s strategy has been our curiosity in advancing these pursuits from the starting. And so the indisputable fact that intelligence was gathered, whether or not from Israelis or ours, and all the time checked by our intel companies to make sure– it is accurate– a lotta occasions the greatest technique to begin operations is a trigger-based or condition-based second. And you may work collectively on whether or not that is smart. But we have been all the time controlling the throttle about whether or not or not we go or not go. And finally, to advance American pursuits, and defend American lives.
Major Garrett: Some would possibly take a look at that sequence of occasions and say, effectively, that it was a possibility greater than an imminent menace.
Pete Hegseth: I imply, I believe a lot of that dialogue is– foolish and tutorial. They’ve been killing us for 48 years– 47 years. They have unabated nuclear ambitions.
And once we obliterated their nuclear program at the finish of the 12-Day War and Operation Midnight Hammer— they need to’ve come to the desk and stated, “Okay, we get it. You mean business. We’re not gonna have nukes.” And they have not.
And because of this, when the president appears at it, generationally he sees a menace that will proceed to collect.
Despite the administration’s claim that it obliterated Iran’s nuclear infrastructure in June, worldwide screens estimate that Iran nonetheless has greater than 970 kilos of practically bomb-grade uranium.
Major Garrett: Is it attainable to realize the aims President Trump has set earlier than you if we do not find and procure and extract the extremely enriched uranium?
Pete Hegseth: There’s a lotta alternative ways we are able to get after that. They’ve used a traditional umbrella of– of missiles that was rising each single day, their manufacturing cap– capability, to attempt to cowl over their nuclear blackmail ambitions. As far as the way you get at that nuclear choice, we’ll make sure– that their nuclear ambitions are by no means achieved.
Major Garrett: Will we take it out ourselves?
Pete Hegseth: Oh I’d by no means inform you or anyone else what our choices are. That’s one other factor. People maintain asking–
Major Garrett: It’s not really–
Major Garrett: It’s a professional query.
Pete Hegseth: Very truthful query. People ask boots on the floor, no boots on the floor, 4 weeks, two weeks, six weeks, go in, go in? President Trump is aware of, I do know, you do not inform the enemy, you do not inform the press, you do not inform anyone what– what your limits could be on an operation. We’re keen to go so far as we have to with the intention to achieve success.
Major Garrett: Do we have now any overt or covert forces inside Iran now?
Pete Hegseth: I would not inform you that if we did.
Major Garrett: Only cause I ask is, earlier this week you stated no. Is that also the reply?
Pete Hegseth: Yeah, that is nonetheless the reply. But we reserve the proper. We could be utterly unwise if we didn’t reserve the proper to take any explicit choice, whether or not it included boots on the floor or no boots on the floor.
Major Garrett: CBS News has three sources telling us that Russia is providing intelligence to Iran on U.S. positions and actions. The common American would possibly hear that and assume that is a giant and harmful deal. Is it?
Pete Hegseth: Well, we’re trackin’ every part. Our commanders are conscious of every part. We have the greatest intelligence in the world. We’re conscious of who’s talkin’ to who, why they’re talkin’ to ’em, how correct that info could be, how we issue that into our battle plans, our CENTCOM commander. So– so we all know what’s goin’ on. And the president– d– has an incredible– knack at figuring out tips on how to mitigate these dangers. And so the American folks can relaxation assured– their commander-in-chief is effectively conscious of who’s talkin’ to who. And something that should not be occurring, whether or not it is in public or back-channeled, is being confronted and confronted strongly.
Major Garrett: The American folks can subsequently anticipate conversations with the Russians to cease this?
Pete Hegseth: Well, I– President Trump, as folks have seen, has a singular relationship with a variety of world leaders the place he can get issues performed that different presidents, definitely Joe Biden, by no means may have. And by way of direct conversations or oblique, by way of him one-to-one or by way of his cupboard, messages– undoubtedly might be delivered.
Major Garrett: Does this put U.S. personnel in any extra hazard than they in any other case could be?
Pete Hegseth: Well, nobody’s–
Major Garrett: The Russian involvement?
Pete Hegseth: No one’s puttin’ us– us at risk. We’re puttin’ the different guys at risk, and that is our job. So we’re not involved about that. We mitigate it as we have to. Our commanders issue all of this. But the only ones that have to be nervous proper now are– are Iranians that assume they’re gonna stay.
Six U.S. Army reservists were killed in an Iranian drone assault in Kuwait final Sunday. President Trump and Secretary Hegseth attended the dignified transfer yesterday at Dover Air Force Base. One extra service member’s loss of life was introduced this afternoon.
Pete Hegseth: The president’s been proper to say there shall be casualties. Things like this do not occur with out casualties. There shall be extra casualties. And nobody is– I imply, particularly our technology knows– is aware of what it is wish to see Americans come residence in caskets. It’s– however that does not weaken us one bit. It stiffens our backbone and our resolve to say this is a combat we are going to end—
So far, greater than 1,600 Iranians have been killed, in line with a bunch known as Human Rights Activists in Iran. That contains 168 folks, principally kids, at a school in the southern part of the country, an space the U.S. was attacking at the time.
Major Garrett: Have you made any conclusions about whether or not or not the United States, inadvertently or not, was concerned in any army strike at that college?
Pete Hegseth: Well, we’re nonetheless investigating and that is the place I’ll depart it at present. But what I’ll emphasize to you and to the world is that in contrast to our adversaries, the Iranians, we by no means goal civilians.
Major Garrett: There was a report late in the week from two officers that it was doubtless U.S. involvement. Is that report false?
Pete Hegseth: I’ve already stated we’re investigating.
Major Garrett: If you may inform the American public, “It definitively was not us,” you’ll inform us, would not you?
Pete Hegseth: I’d– I’d say that it is being investigated, which is the only reply I’m ready to offer.
Tonight, Iran introduced {that a} son of its slain chief would change him. President Trump stated this morning any chief picked with out his approval, is, quote “not going to last long.”
Major Garrett: You stated this is not a regime-change struggle, however the regime has modified, that is apparent. Can you sq. the two?
Pete Hegseth: Sure.
Major Garrett: Go forward.
Pete Hegseth: I meant what I stated. It’s not a regime-change struggle in a traditional George W. Bush context of lots of of hundreds of troops. I imply, in Afghanistan what I watched as a younger captain was Americans considering we have been gonna remake– a society that was principally biblical occasions with AK-47s and cellphones.
The hubris of, “We’re gonna take Afghanistan and turn it into a Jeffersonian democracy by building western-style forces and western-style institutions,” it was by no means gonna work. “And I saw it and watched it play out. And it doesn’t dispel the courage of the Americans who fought there, who I know there.” But this is not a remaking of the Iranian society from an American perspective. We tried that. The American folks have rejected that. President Trump known as these wars dumb. And we’re not combating that means.
Major Garrett: President Trump additionally stated this week he want to defend a few of the individuals who he want to come to energy in Iran. Is {that a} new mission to your division?
Pete Hegseth: No.
Major Garrett: How would you defend folks which are inside the nation that he would possibly assume may rise to the stage of management there?
Pete Hegseth: Well, the greatest means to– to guard them is what we’re doing proper now. What you see proper now between– American efforts and Israeli efforts is a generational alternative for the folks of Iran.
This previous week, Iran launched missiles and drones at practically a dozen Middle Eastern international locations together with American allies Qatar, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia.
Major Garrett: There’s reporting from our Margaret Brennan that not us, however allies in the area are running very low on interceptors. Is that true, primary, quantity two, how ready are we to assist them restock interceptors to guard them as we proceed this marketing campaign?
Pete Hegseth: Very ready. We– we plan for that. As you heard Admiral Cooper yesterday lay out, CENTCOM commander, their missile projection is down 90% from that peak. So if– excuse me, missile pictures. So if they can not shoot wherever close to that volume– our projections of munitions are– are– are effectively past what we would want. And we are able to crossload for allies if want be, all the time guaranteeing that our forces and our troops and our bases are taken care of first. But the place we may also help allies– we are going to.
Since the struggle started, oil shipments by way of the Strait of Hormuz, by way of which 20% of the world’s oil flows, have stalled. U.S. fuel costs are up a mean of virtually 50 cents a gallon.
Major Garrett: President stated this week the Strait of Hormuz shall be taken care of. How will that be taken care of and the way will the ships which are there, that aren’t shifting, begin to transfer and be shifting with a level of confidence that they won’t be inhibited by what stays of the Iranian both boats or gun emplacements alongside that strait?
Pete Hegseth: Well, we’re takin’ care of a variety of that.
Major Garrett: How?
Pete Hegseth: Well, American firepower. What was the– Iranian Navy is largely no extra. There’ll be extra boats to be sunk, for positive. So their capacity to mission any energy in that space in a naval sense is being–
Major Garrett: Is diminishing–
Pete Hegseth: Diminishing and shall be more and more diminished. Again, what I– what I would like your viewers to know is this is only just the starting.
Produced by Andy Court, Andrew Bast, Arden Farhi. Associate producers, Annabelle Hanflig and Emily Cameron. Broadcast associates, Erin DuCharme and Jane Greeley. Edited by Craig Crawford. Assistant editor, Aisha Crespo.
