Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has praised President Donald Trump for America’s strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine held a press conference at the Pentagon on Sunday.

Democrats are screaming impeachment after President Trump bombed three Iranian nuclear sites. Some are referencing the War Powers Act. If that worked then Biden would have been impeached over Ukraine, and Obama over the seven countries he bombed the Hell out of. Ukraine is actually a war, and Obama did a number on Syria, Libya, […] The post Democrats Want Impeachment on the Table appeared first on www.independentsentinel.com.

Peace President Barack Obama was elected in 2009 partly due to his opposition to the Iraq war and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize about nine months after he assumed office. However, it was more of a political statement, and it certainly didn’t portend what was to become. The Bombing Spree Obama went on an […] The post President Obama’s 8 Years of Bombing the Middle East appeared first on www.independentsentinel.com.

On Sunday, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth delivered a statement to the American public in which he called the U.S. strike on Iranian nuclear facilities an “overwhelming success,” noted that President Trump has not wavered from his long-stated intention to eliminate Iran’s nuclear weapons program, stated bluntly that “American deterrence is back,” and paid tribute to all the members of the American military who participated in Operation Midnight Hammer,” praising them as “warriors.” Hegseth’s statement below: Thank you for joining us this morning. Last night, on President Trump’s orders, U.S. Central Command conducted a precision strike in the middle of the night against three nuclear facilities in Iran: Fordo, Natanz, and Esfahan, in order to destroy or severely degrade Iran’s nuclear program. And as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs will demonstrate, it was an incredible and overwhelming success. The order we received from our Commander-in-Chief was focused; it was powerful, and it was clear. We devastated the Iranian nuclear program, but it’s worth noting the operation did not target Iranian troops or the Iranian people. For the entirety of his time office, President Trump has consistently stated for over 10 years that Iran must not get a nuclear weapon.  Full stop. Thanks to President Trump‘s bold and visionary leadership and his commitment to peace through strength, Iran’s nuclear ambitions have been obliterated. Many presidents have dreamed of delivering the final blow to Iran‘s nuclear program and none could until President Trump. The operation President Trump planned was bold, and it was brilliant, showing the world that American deterrence is back. When this president speaks the world should listen. And the U.S. military? We can back it up. The most powerful military the world has ever known. No other country on planet Earth could have conducted the operation that the chairman is going to outline this morning. Not even close. Just like Soleimani found out in the first term, Iran found out when POTUS says 60 days that he seeks peace and negotiation, he means 60 days of peace and negotiation, otherwise that nuclear capability will not exist. He meant it. This is not the previous administration; President Trump said no nukes. He seeks peace and Iran should take that path. He sent out a Truth last night saying this: “Any retaliation by Iran against the United States of America will be met with force far greater than what was witnessed tonight.” Signed, the president of the United States, Donald J Trump. Iran would be smart to heed those words. He said it before, and he means it. I want go to give recognition to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The Joint Staff, General Erik Kurilla at CENTCOM, who did a phenomenal job, he and his staff, all of CENTCOM policy. Across the board, this was a joint effort, an across-the-Pentagon effort. I want to recognize pilots who flew those bombers; who flew those fighters; who flew those refuelers: Warriors. I want to recognize the sailors, on those destroyers, in those subs. on those carriers: Warriors. All of them. I want to recognize our soldiers doing air defense, base  defense, QRF: Warriors. All of them. Every American involved in this operation performed flawlessly. And I want to give recognition to our allies in Israel as well. This is a plan that took months and weeks of positioning and preparation so that we could be ready when the president of the United States called. It took a great deal of precision; it involved misdirection and the highest of operational security. Our B2s went in and out of these nuclear sites in and out and back without the world knowing at all. In that way it was historic. A strike that included the longest B2 Spirit Bomber mission since 2001 and the first operational employment of the MOP, a massive ordinance penetrator. The mission demonstrated to the world the level of joint and Allied integration that speak to the strength of our alliance and our joint forces. As President Trump has stated, the United States does not seek war, but let me be clear: We will act swiftly and decisively when our people, our partners, or our interests are threatened. Iran should listen to the United States and know that he means it: every word. I want to give congratulations to our Commander-in Chief. It was an honor to watch him lead last night and throughout and to our great American warriors on this successful operation. God bless our troops. God bless America, and we give glory to God for his Providence and continue to ask for his protection. I turn it over now to the Chairman for specifics.

On Sunday, General Dan Caine, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, delivered his statement to the American public regarding the military details of Operation Midnight Hammer, in which the U.S. struck Iranian nuclear sites. Caine emphasized the precision and surprise of the attack and the incredibly tight security regarding the secrecy of the mission, pointing out that both on the way in and the way out, no shots were fired at the U.S. aircraft. “Any Iranian retaliation or proxy attacks … would be an incredibly poor choice,” he stated bluntly. Full transcript below: Thank you, Mr. Secretary. Thanks for recognizing all of our folks out there doing our nation’s work, and nice to see everybody on this early Sunday morning. Last night, on the President’s orders, U.S. Central Command, under the command of General Eric Kurilla, executed Operation Midnight Hammer: a deliberate and precise strike against three Iranian nuclear facilities. This was a complex and high-risk mission carried out with exceptional skill and discipline by our joint force. I want to thank every service member, planner, operator, that made this mission possible. Their actions reflect the highest standards of the United States armed forces. This operation was designed to severely degrade Iran’s nuclear weapons infrastructure. It was planned and executed across multiple domains and theaters with coordination that reflects our ability to project power globally with speed and precision at the time and place of our nation’s choosing. This was a highly classified mission with very few people in Washington knowing the timing or nature of this plan. I’ll refer you to the graphic on the side as I walk you through some of the operational details. At midnight Friday into Saturday morning a large B2 strike package comprised of bombers launched from the continental United States. As part of a plan to maintain tactical surprise, part of the package proceeded to the west and into the Pacific as a decoy, a deception effort known only to an extremely small number of planners and key leaders here in Washington and in Tampa. The main strike package comprised of seven B2 Spirit bombers, each with two crewmembers, proceeded quietly to the East with minimal communications. Throughout the 18-hour flight into the target area. the aircraft completed multiple inflight refuelings. Once over land, the B2‘s linked up with escort and support aircraft in a complex tightly-timed maneuver requiring exact synchronization across multiple platforms in a narrow piece of airspace, all done with minimal communication communications. This type of integration is exactly what our joint force does better than anyone else in the world. At approximately 5 p.m. Eastern Standard Time last night and just prior to the strike package entering Iran, a U.S. submarine in the central command area of responsibility launched more than two dozen Tomahawk plane attack cruise missiles against key surface infrastructure targets at Esfahan. As the Operation Midnight Hammer strike package entered Iranian airspace, the U.S. employed several deception tactics, including decoys, as the fourth and fifth generation aircraft pushed out in front of the strike package at high altitude and high speed, sweeping in front of the package for enemy fighters and surface-to-air missile threats. The strike package was supported by U.S. Strategic Command, U.S. Transportation Command, U.S. Cyber Command, U.S. Space Command, U.S. Space Force, and U.S. European Command. As the strike package approached Fordow and Natanz, the U.S. protection package employed high-speed suppression weapons to ensure safe passage of the strike package, with fighter assets employing preemptive, suppressing fires against any potential Iranian surface-to-air threats. We are currently unaware of any shots fired at the U.S. strike package on the way in. At approximately 6:40 p.m. Eastern Standard time, 2:10 a.m. Iran time. The lead B2 dropped two GU 57 massive ordinance penetrator weapons on the first of several aim points at Fordow. As the president stated last night, the remaining bombers then hit their targets as well. with a total of 14 MOPs dropped against two nuclear target areas. All three Iranian nuclear infrastructure targets were struck between 6:40 p.m. and 7:05 p.m. Eastern time. Again that’s about 2:10 in the morning local time in Iran, with the Tomahawk missiles being the last to strike a Esfahan to ensure we retained the element of surprise throughout the operation. Following weapons released the Midnight Hammer strike package exited Iranian airspace, and the package began its return home. We are unaware of any shots fired at the package on the way out. Iran’s fighters did not fly, and it appears that Iran’s surface-to-air missile systems did not see us throughout the mission. We retained the element of surprise. In total, U.S. forces employed approximately 75 precision-guided weapons during this operation. This included, as the president stated last night, 14 30,000 pound GBU- 57 massive ordinance penetrators, marking the first-ever operational use of this weapon. I know that battle damage is great interest; final battle damage will take some time but initial battle damage assessments indicate that all three sites sustained extremely severe damage and destruction. More than 125 U.S. aircraft participated in this mission, including B2 stealth bombers, multiple flights of fourth and fifth generation fighters, dozens and dozens of air refueling tankers, a guided missile submarine, and a full array of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft, as well as hundreds of maintenance and operational professionals. As the Secretary said, this was the largest B2 operational strike in U.S. history and the second longest B2 mission ever flown, exceeded only by those in the days following 9/11. Well prior to the strike, General Kurilla elevated force protection measures across the region, especially in Iraq, Syria and the Gulf. Our forces remain on high alert and are fully postured to respond to any Iranian retaliation or proxy attacks, which would be an incredibly poor choice. We will defend ourselves. The safety of our service members and civilians remains our highest priority. This mission demonstrates the unmatched reach, coordination, and capability of the United States military; in just a matter of weeks, this went from strategic planning to global execution. This operation underscores the unmatched capabilities and global reach of the United States military. As the President clearly said last night, no other military in the world could have done this. I join the President and the Secretary in being incredibly proud of the air crews, naval forces, cyber operators, planners and support teams and commanders who made this mission possible; it is their skill, discipline, and teamwork that makes this operation possible. I am particularly proud of our discipline related to operational security, something that was a great concern to the President, the Secretary, General Kurilla and me. And we will continue to focus on this. As we stand here this morning, many assets are still airborne and we have hundreds deployed. I ask that we keep our war fighters on their way home and our deployed service members in our thoughts. Our joint force remains ready to defend United States our troops and our interest in the region. Thank you very much.

Vice President JD Vance said on Sunday the United States is not at war with Iran after President Donald Trump ordered strikes on three of that country’s nuclear facilities. Vance made the declaration in response to what anchor Jonathan Karl called the “big question” at the top of an interview on ABC’s “This Week.” “No, we’re not at war with Iran, Jon,” Vance said. “We’re at war with Iran’s nuclear program. And I think the president took decisive action to destroy that program last night.” Vance stressed that Trump, who has long stated that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon, wants to force new leadership in Tehran. “We don’t want to achieve regime change — we want to achieve the end of the Iranian nuclear program,” Vance said, adding that the strikes were a “major step forward” toward achieving that result. Vance warned Iran against retaliating against the United States. “If the Iranians attack us, they’re going to be met with overwhelming force … We did not attack the nation of Iran. We did not attack any civilian targets. We didn’t even attack military targets outside of the three nuclear weapons facilities,” Vance said. If Iran were to attack the United States, Vance said that he believes the United States will be able to protect as many of its people as possible. “We have got maximum defensive posture,” Vance said. Vance contended that one cannot expect peace in the region if Iran were to get a nuclear weapon. “It would lead to absolutely disastrous military conflict all over the Middle East,” Vance said. “We don’t want that, our Gulf Arab allies don’t want that, Israel doesn’t want that.” Vance insisted that stopping Iran from getting a nuclear weapon is one of the few issues that unites the Arabians and the Israelis. “They know it would lead to the opposite of peace,” he said. Vance also sought to offer comfort to those worried about the United States getting involved in another longstanding war. “The president — more than anybody — is worried about protracted military conflicts. That is not what we’re getting ourselves involved in,” Vance said. “What we’re getting ourselves involved in is a very targeted effort to eliminate the Iranian nuclear program,” Vance said. “That will continue to be the goal of American foreign policy. And it’s that goal that is going to motivate our action in the weeks and months to come.”

'Midnight Hammer'