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. navy are concerned in the execution of what it calls “Operation Epic Fury.” Our CBS News colleague Major Garrett spoke with Hegseth about the battle with Iran.
The U.S. navy mentioned 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 mentioned late this week, “The mission is,” and I’m quoting him straight right here, “nearly accomplished by all estimates.” Is that true?
Pete Hegseth: Oh, we’re very a lot on observe, on plan. I used to be down at CENTCOM– yesterday–
Major Garrett: Someone would possibly hear that and assume it is virtually over–
Pete Hegseth: Well, there’s no– we’re not flying a mission completed banner– like George W. Bush on– on an plane provider. We’re not doing that and we have not executed that. But we could 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, while 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 means for us to be up over the prime and searching with extra typical munitions, gravity bombs, 500-pound, 1,000-pound, 2,000-pound bombs on navy 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’ll execute on these aims.
Major Garrett: President mentioned just lately there can be no cope with Iran besides unconditional give up. What does that appear to be, unconditional give up? How will it is actual?
Pete Hegseth: It means we’re fightin’ to win. It means we set the phrases. We’ll know once they’re not able to preventing. There’ll be a degree the place they will don’t have any alternative however to try 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 other ways. Whether they wish to admit it or not, whether or not their satisfaction lets them say it out loud or not– it is President Trump who will set the phrases of that.
The president of Iran mentioned 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 battle between Iran and Iraq, virtually eight years, and so they by no means surrendered in that battle. 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 era was part of.
Major Garrett: Yes. I do know that, sir.
Pete Hegseth: In Iraq and Afghanistan– the place loads of silly approaches have been used. This is battle. This is battle. This is bringing your enemy to their knees. Now, whether or not they are going to 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 battle 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 battle that to their minds didn’t put American pursuits first.
Major Garrett: Do you wish to tackle that criticism?
Pete Hegseth: All I do know is, I’m in the room day by 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 mentioned that the Israelis, via Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, supplied on February twenty third key details about intelligence they’d developed about the doubtless whereabouts of Ali Khamenei and lots of in his internal circle.That the U.S. then checked it out via the CIA, confirmed that, and that was a chance that introduced itself to the president. And that is the precipitating issue for this battle. That’s the method 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 incontrovertible fact that intelligence was gathered, whether or not from Israelis or ours, and at all times checked by our intel companies to make sure– it is accurate– a lotta instances the greatest approach to begin operations is a trigger-based or condition-based second. And you possibly can work collectively on whether or not that is smart. But we have been at all times controlling the throttle about whether or not or not we go or not go. And in the end, to advance American pursuits, and shield American lives.
Major Garrett: Some would possibly have a look at that sequence of occasions and say, nicely, that it was a chance greater than an imminent risk.
Pete Hegseth: I imply, I feel a lot of that dialogue is– foolish and educational. 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 mentioned, “Okay, we get it. You mean business. We’re not gonna have nukes.” And they have not.
And consequently, when the president appears to be like at it, generationally he sees a risk that might proceed to collect.
Despite the administration’s claim that it obliterated Iran’s nuclear infrastructure in June, worldwide displays estimate that Iran nonetheless has greater than 970 kilos of practically bomb-grade uranium.
Major Garrett: Is it potential 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 other 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 reliable query.
Pete Hegseth: Very honest 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 to be able to achieve success.
Major Garrett: Do we now have any overt or covert forces inside Iran now?
Pete Hegseth: I would not inform you that if we did.
Major Garrett: Only purpose I ask is, earlier this week you mentioned no. Is that also the reply?
Pete Hegseth: Yeah, that is nonetheless the reply. But we reserve the proper. We could be fully 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 thing. Our commanders are conscious of every thing. 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 how one can mitigate these dangers. And so the American folks can relaxation assured– their commander-in-chief is nicely 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 due to this fact count on conversations with the Russians to cease this?
Pete Hegseth: Well, I– President Trump, as folks have seen, has a novel relationship with loads of world leaders the place he can get issues executed that different presidents, definitely Joe Biden, by no means may have. And via direct conversations or oblique, via him one-to-one or via his cupboard, messages– positively could 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 must be apprehensive proper now are– are Iranians that assume they’re gonna dwell.
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 dying was introduced this afternoon.
Pete Hegseth: The president’s been proper to say there can be casualties. Things like this do not occur with out casualties. There can be extra casualties. And nobody is– I imply, particularly our era knows– is aware of what it is wish to see Americans come house 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’ll end—
So far, greater than 1,600 Iranians have been killed, based on a bunch referred to as Human Rights Activists in Iran. That consists of 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 navy strike at that college?
Pete Hegseth: Well, we’re nonetheless investigating and that is the place I’ll go away it right this moment. 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 mentioned we’re investigating.
Major Garrett: If you might inform the American public, “It definitively was not us,” you’d 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 provide.
Tonight, Iran introduced {that a} son of its slain chief would change him. President Trump mentioned this morning any chief picked with out his approval, is, quote “not going to last long.”
Major Garrett: You mentioned this is not a regime-change battle, 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 mentioned. It’s not a regime-change battle 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 pondering we have been gonna remake– a society that was principally biblical instances 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 referred to as these wars dumb. And we’re not preventing that method.
Major Garrett: President Trump additionally mentioned this week he want to shield a few of the individuals who he want to come to energy in Iran. Is {that a} new mission on your division?
Pete Hegseth: No.
Major Garrett: How would you shield folks which are inside the nation that he would possibly assume may rise to the degree of management there?
Pete Hegseth: Well, the greatest method 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 nations 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 top. So if– excuse me, missile pictures. So if they can not shoot wherever close to that volume– our projections of munitions are– are– are nicely past what we would want. And we are able to crossload for allies if want be, at all times making certain that our forces and our troops and our bases are taken care of first. But the place we may also help allies– we’ll.
Since the battle started, oil shipments via the Strait of Hormuz, via which 20% of the world’s oil flows, have stalled. U.S. fuel costs are up a median of just about 50 cents a gallon.
Major Garrett: President mentioned this week the Strait of Hormuz can be taken care of. How will that be taken care of and the way will the ships which are there, that aren’t transferring, begin to transfer and be transferring 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 loads 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 means to venture any energy in that space in a naval sense is being–
Major Garrett: Is diminishing–
Pete Hegseth: Diminishing and can be more and more diminished. Again, what I– what I need your viewers to grasp 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.
