| 'THEY MUST MAKE A DEAL' OR 'BAD THINGS WILL HAPPEN': Speaking at the inaugural meeting of his Board of Peace, President Donald Trump seemed to set a two-week deadline for Iran to come to terms on a nuclear agreement that would meet U.S. demands to give up its capability to enrich uranium and accept limits on its ballistic missile program. In rambling remarks at the two-and-a-half-hour ceremony at the U.S. Institute of Peace, newly-renamed for him, Trump first floated a 10-day window, but later told reporters on Air Force One that he thinks 10 to 15 "would be enough time, 10 to 15 days, pretty much maximum." "We're going to get a deal one way or the other," he said. "We're either going to get a deal, or it's going to be unfortunate for them." As the U.S. continued to move more attack and critical support aircraft into the Gulf region — including command and control and tankers — the level of firepower arrayed against Iran is beginning to rival the air and sea power the U.S. amassed ahead of the 2003 invasion of Iraq. "Now is the time for Iran to join us on a path that will complete what we're doing. And if they join us, that'll be great; if they don't join us, that'll be great too, but it'll be a very different path," Trump said at the Board of Peace ceremony. "They cannot continue to threaten the stability of the entire region, and they must make a deal," he said. "But bad things will happen if it doesn't." 'IT'S NOT TRUMP'S DECISION TO MAKE': Trump is moving all the pieces in place to conduct a major military campaign against Iran, far different from the one-off bombing of nuclear facilities last summer, or this year's snatch mission to arrest Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro. Congress is in recess at the moment, and unlike the fervent calls for Trump to seek authorization for the use of military force that were heard from Democrats before the Venezuelan crisis, there has been mostly silence from Capitol Hill. One exception is Rep. Jake Auchincloss (D-MA), who argued in an appearance on CNN that if "Trump wants to engage in this kind of military saber rattling, he needs to come to Congress and get permission." "Coercive diplomacy against Iran is appropriate, against their funding of proxy terror forces, against their ballistic missile development, against, of course, their nuclear program," Auchincloss said. "What is not appropriate is for him to make the unilateral decision that he will strike Iran and potentially vest the United States in another forever war that the American public does not want." "It's not Donald Trump's final decision to make," he said. "The Constitution is super clear about this. He cannot engage U.S. forces into hostilities without congressional authorization. That authorization for the use of military force has not been granted by Congress." A WARNING SHOT? The Wall Street Journal, in what it's touting as an exclusive, is reporting that Trump is considering an option that would ramp up pressure on Iran with an "initial limited military strike" designed to drive home the seriousness of the threat, without provoking a major retaliatory response. "The opening assault, which if authorized could come within days, would target a few military or government sites," the Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter. "If Iran still refused to comply with Trump's directive to end its nuclear enrichment, the U.S. would respond with a broad campaign against regime facilities — potentially aimed at toppling the Tehran regime." Iran remains defiant. In a letter to U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres, Tehran warns, "If attacked, all bases, facilities, and assets of the hostile force in the region would constitute legitimate targets in the context of Iran's defensive response." "The United States would bear full and direct responsibility for any unpredictable and uncontrolled consequences," Iran added. Iranian-born analyst Trita Parsi, now with the Quincy Institute, argued that the "start small and escalate" strategy is unlikely to succeed. "Caving to this military threat likely will only invite further coercive demands, beginning with conventional military capabilities such as its missile capabilities," Parsi said in a post on X. "Since capitulation is a non-option for Iran, the Iranians are incentivized to strike back right away at the US. The only exit Tehran sees is to fight back, inflict as much pain as possible on the US, and hope that this causes Trump to back off or accept a more equitable deal." Meanwhile, Iranian naval forces yesterday "hosted an Iranian-Russian naval exercise," which the Institute for the Study of War said was likely an attempt by Iran "to signal its solidarity with Russia and practice offensive and defensive maneuvers in and around the Strait of Hormuz in preparation for U.S. military action against Iran." TRUMP SAYS DECISION ON IRAN WILL BE MADE IN THE NEXT '10 DAYS' Good Friday morning and welcome to Jamie McIntyre's Daily on Defense, written and compiled by Washington Examiner National Security Senior Writer Jamie McIntyre (@jamiejmcintyre) and edited by Christopher Tremoglie. Email here with tips, suggestions, calendar items, and anything else. Sign up or read current and back issues at DailyonDefense.com. If signing up doesn't work, shoot us an email and we'll add you to our list. And be sure to follow me on Threads and/or on X @jamiejmcintyre. CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP OR READ BACK ISSUES OF DAILY ON DEFENSE HAPPENING TODAY: THE TRUTH IS OUT THERE: What started with a lighthearted quip from former President Barack Obama about the existence of extraterrestrial life has breathed new life into the age-old debate about whether aliens have visited Earth and the government is covering it up. Obama was answering questions in the "lightning round" at the end of a 45-minute podcast when the host asked, "Are aliens real?" "They're real," Obama answered, adding, "But I haven't seen them. And, they're not being kept in Area 51." The shoot-from-the-hip response was Obama's attempt to be pithy, in the spirit of the speed round, but the reaction by UFO buffs forced him to post a clarification on Instagram. "Since it's gotten attention let me clarify. Statistically, the universe is so vast that the odds are good there's life out there," Obama said. "But the distances between solar systems are so great that the chances we've been visited by aliens is low, and I saw no evidence during my presidency that extraterrestrials have made contact with us. Really!" And that might have been the end of it, but Fox's Peter Doocy thought he would have some fun by posing the question to President Trump on Air Force One. "Barack Obama said that aliens are real. Have you seen any evidence of nonhuman visitors to Earth?" "Well, he gave classified information. He's not supposed to be doing that, you know," Trump replied. "So aliens are real?" Doocy pressed. "Well, I don't know if they're real or not. I can tell you he gave classified information. He's not supposed to be doing that. He made a big mistake. He took it out of classified information." Trump's tone seemed to indicate he took the issue seriously. Sure enough later he posted on Truth Social, "Based on the tremendous interest shown, I will be directing the Secretary of War, and other relevant Departments and Agencies, to begin the process of identifying and releasing Government files related to alien and extraterrestrial life, unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP), and unidentified flying objects (UFOs), and any and all other information connected to these highly complex, but extremely interesting and important, matters." Spoiler alert: Obama said on the podcast, "There's no underground facility, unless there's this enormous conspiracy, and they hid it from the president of the United States." HEGSETH DEFENDS PENTAGON PRAYER SERVICES AGAINST 'GODLESS IDEOLOGIES AND PAGAN RELIGIONS': In a fiery sermon delivered last night at National Religious Broadcasters Christian Media Convention in Nashville, War Secretary Pete Hegseth defended his introduction of regular Christian prayers session at the Pentagon, saying criticism from what he called "the freedom from religion crowd," showed the services were needed now more than ever. "They hate it. The left wing shrieks, which means we are right over the target," Hesgeth told the audience, which responded with sustained applause. "As we celebrate our Nation's 250th year, it's important to understand that the very fabric of our founding documents are woven in the threads of Christian and biblical principles," he said. "Our founders were men of faith, Christian faith." "Our most fundamental liberties are gifts from God, not government," he said. "Gone is Godless and divisive DEI, gone is gender-bending equity and quotas, gone is climate change worship to a false God. We are one military, one fighting force, one nation under God. We are not in woke we trust, we are in God we trust," he said. "The military once again supports and trains our troops and tends to their spiritual health. You see, we train our troops; we no longer trans our troops." "If I may offer a few observations: Protecting the God-given life of an unborn baby is not political – it is BIBLICAL. Protecting our borders from criminals who steal from us, assault our loved ones, and poison our citizens is not political – it is BIBLICAL. Protecting women and children from being trafficked for sexual slavery is not political – it is BIBLICAL. Standing guard over our children rather than letting them be taught perverse sexual practices or sharing a locker room with men pretending to be women is not political – it is BIBLICAL. Protecting our culture and our religion from godless ideologies and pagan religions is not political – it is BIBLICAL," Hegseth said in a video clip posted by the Pentagon. The speech comes as Hegseth is facing criticism for inviting self-described Christian nationalist Pastor Doug Wilson to lead Pentagon prayer services. Wilson holds controversial beliefs, including that women should not be allowed to vote, and that society should be governed by a strict interpretation of biblical law. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER THE RUNDOWN: Washington Examiner: Trump says decision on Iran will be made in the next '10 days' Washington Examiner: Trump contrasts 'tough' Vance to 'velvet' Rubio during Board of Peace meeting Washington Examiner: UK deal ceding sovereignty of Chagos islands faces scrutiny after renewed Trump opposition Washington Examiner: Everything to know about the 2026 State of the Union address Washington Examiner: Inside ICE's battle with local Democrats to convert warehouses into detention centers Washington Examiner: Massie says Trump releasing alien files 'weapon of mass distraction' from Epstein Washington Examiner: Trump orders release of files related to aliens and UFOs, citing 'tremendous interest' Washington Examiner: Eighth Circuit may give Trump another win on mandatory immigration detention Washington Examiner: Opinion: Why Russia keeps playing games in Ukraine peace talks Washington Examiner: Tom Rogan Opinion: Will Iran be 11 days late for Trump? Washington Examiner: Trump should stick to his guns on Taiwan Washington Examiner: Anduril's defense industry insurgency Wall Street Journal: Trump Weighs Initial Limited Strike to Force Iran Into Nuclear Deal Wall Street Journal: U.S. Gathers the Most Air Power in the Mideast Since the 2003 Iraq Invasion AP: Saudi Arabia may have uranium enrichment under proposed deal with US, arms control experts warn The Economist: Vladimir Putin is caught in a vice of his own making Kyiv Independent: 'Don't believe in fairy tales' — Russia scrambles for front-line signal after Starlink cut-off Breaking Defense: China's Nuclear Submarine Production Rate Surpasses That of US: Report Wall Street Journal: A Confident Kim Embarks on New Era of Defiance at North Korea Conclave AP: They're playing cute': Trump calls out major US allies who have not yet joined his Board of Peace The Hill: US Military Leader Meets with Rodríguez After Maduro Ouster from Venezuela AP: Federal judge accuses Trump administration of 'terror' against immigrants in scathing ruling AP: NASA boss blasts Boeing and space agency managers for Starliner's botched astronaut flight Defense News: Navy Seeks New Anti-Radar Missile Compatible with F-18, F-35 Aircraft Air & Space Forces Magazine: Northrop, Embraer Team Up to Pitch a Tactical Tanker for Dispersed Ops to USAF Defense News: Airbus Open to Two-Fighter Option for FCAS to Keep Program Alive The War Zone: Private F-16 Aggressors Just Brought a Huge Upgrade to the Fight Axios: Pentagon-Anthropic Battle Pushes Other AI Labs into Major Dilemma National Defense Magazine: Advanced AI Models Refuse Military Queries at Alarming Rates, New Report Finds Defense Scoop: Pentagon CTO Urges Anthropic to 'Cross the Rubicon' on Military AI Use Cases amid Ethics Dispute Defense One: Boeing Moves Its Defense HQ Back to St. Louis Air & Space Forces Magazine: Can DOD Limit Retirees' Speech? Hegseth-Kelly Case Could Yield Answer Air & Space Forces Magazine: Kessel Run Launches Program for 'Next-Gen' Air Operations Center Air & Space Forces Magazine: USSF Wants to Get Battle Management Tools from Lab to Operations Faster Washington Post: Veterans sue over Trump's planned 250-foot arch, citing cemetery views Washington Post: John Bolton Opinion: Trump's strategic incoherence in the Indian Ocean THE CALENDAR: FRIDAY | FEBRUARY 20 10 a.m. — National Institute for Deterrence Studies virtual seminar: "Engineering the Future of Deterrence: Integrating Advanced Systems for Modern Security," with Laura McGill, director, Sandia National Laboratories https://thinkdeterrence.com/events/registration-coming-soon/ 2 p.m. 1000 Massachusetts Ave. NW — Cato Institute book discussion: Retrench, Defend, Compete: Securing America's Future Against a Rising China, with author Charles Glaser, senior fellow, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Security Studies Program; Patricia Kim, Brookings Institution fellow in foreign policy; and Evan Sankey, Cato policy analyst https://www.cato.org/events/retrench-defend-compete TUESDAY | FEBRUARY 24 9:30 a.m. 216 Hart — Senate Armed Services Committee hearing: "Rebuilding American Critical Minerals Supply Chains," with testimony from Michael Cadenazzi, assistant secretary of defense for industrial base policy; and Acting Assistant Deputy Defense Secretary for Industrial Base Resilience Jeffrey Frankston http://www.armed-services.senate.gov 10 a.m. 2247 Rayburn — House Oversight and Government Reform Government Operations Subcommittee hearing: "An Update on DoD's Struggling Background Check System" http://oversight.house.gov 2 p.m. 2118 Rayburn — House Armed Services Readiness and Management Support Subcommittee and Tactical Air and Land Forces Subcommittee hearing: "Modernization of the Organic Industrial Base," with testimony from Brent Ingraham, assistant secretary of the Army for acquisition, logistics, and technology; and Army Lt. Gen. Chris Mohan, commanding officer, Army Materiel Command http://www.armedservices.house.gov 7 p.m. — President Donald Trump delivers 2026 State of the Union Address to a joint meeting of Congress WEDNESDAY | FEBRUARY 25 10 a.m. 562 Dirksen — Senate Environment and Public Works Committee hearing: "The Water Resources Development Act of 2026 and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Projects, Programs, and Priorities," with testimony from Adam Telle, assistant secretary of the Army for civil works; and Lt. Gen. William Graham, chief of engineers and commanding general, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers http://epw.senate.gov THURSDAY | FEBRUARY 26 9:30 a.m. G-50 Dirksen — Senate Armed Services Committee confirmation hearing on Mark Ditlevson to be assistant secretary of defense for homeland defense and hemispheric affairs; and Brian Birdwell to be an assistant secretary of defense for sustainment. http://www.armed-services.senate.gov TUESDAY | MARCH 3 226 Dirksen — Senate Judiciary Committee hearing: "Oversight of the Homeland Security Department," with testimony from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem http://judiciary.senate.gov WEDNESDAY | MARCH 4 10 a.m. 2154 Rayburn — House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing: "Oversight of Fraud and Misuse of Federal Funds in Minnesota: Part II," with testimony from Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison (D) http://oversight.house.gov | | | | QUOTE OF THE DAY: "I flew to Iraq. I was extremely brave. In fact, so brave I wanted to give myself the Congressional Medal of Honor … You know I'm having fun, the fake news will say, 'Donald Trump wants to give himself the Congressional Medal of Honor' … They say that kind of stuff … if I'm sarcastic, even a little bit." | | President Donald Trump, speaking in Rome, Georgia, on Thursday |
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