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Today’s rare #Pentagon #news conference is the first in several months
As #Defense Secretary Pete #Hegseth & #JointChiefs Chair Gen #DanCaine brief reporters today, it is not only mark the first time top members of the #Trump admin speak publicly about “Operation Epic Fury,” but also the first time officials have spoken formally on camera at the Pentagon in several months.
The last #Pentagon press briefing was exactly 3 months ago, on December 2, when Pentagon press secretary Kingsley Wilson fielded questions from a select group of primarily right-wing reporters whose outlets agreed to the Pentagon’s new press policy, which severely limits press access.
#Hegseth & #Caine haven’t held a news conference at the Pentagon since last June, when the officials detailed previous #US strikes against #Iran on 3 key #nuclear facilities.
In January, the 2 officials spoke alongside #Trump & Secretary of State #MarcoRubio following the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás #Maduro, but that news conference took place at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club.
The number of news conferences thus far is well below prior admins, which regularly addressed questions from the press.
#Trump gave the #Iran operation order on Friday afternoon, Gen #Caine says
General #DanCaine offered a detailed timeline of the operation, including the message CENTCOM received from Trump as he gave the final go-ahead.
“At 15:38, 3:38pm, on Friday, February 27, the United States Central Command, through the Secretary of War, received the final go from President Trump,” Caine said.
“The president directed, & I quote, ‘Operation Epic Fury is approved. No aborts. Good luck. Close.’”
That timeline would put #Trump aboard Air Force One, en route to Texas, when he delivered the order. Trump landed in Corpus Christi, Texas, at 3:50 p.m. ET.
In his speech later that day, Trump suggested his mind wasn’t fully made up.
“We have a big decision to make,” he told a crowd in Corpus Christi, where he was promoting his energy agenda. He said the decision was “not easy,” & said Iran had long been engaged in malign behavior.
The Chair of the #JointChiefs of Staff Gen #DanCaine said the #US #war against #Iran would not consist of a “single, overnight operation” & added that more US #casualties should be expected.
“This is not a single, overnight operation,” Caine said at the #Pentagon Monday. “The #military objectives that #CENTCOM & the Joint Force have been tasked with will take some time to achieve, & in some cases, will be difficult & gritty work.”
“We expect to take additional losses, & as always, we will work to minimize US losses,” the general added.
4 American servicemembers have been killed since the #US & #Israel struck targets inside #Iran over the weekend.
#war #Trump #warmonger #RegimeChange #law #Congress #WarPowers #geopolitics #MiddleEast
