| 'WATCH WHAT HAPPENS TO THESE DERANGED SCUMBAGS TODAY': A frustrated President Donald Trump lashed out at Iran and the news media just after midnight this morning, as Iran's new ayatollah vowed to "avenge the blood of martyrs" and to continue to block the Strait of Hormuz. "We are totally destroying the terrorist regime of Iran, militarily, economically, and otherwise, yet, if you read the Failing New York Times, you would incorrectly think that we are not winning," Trump posted on Truth Social at 12:33 a.m. "Iran's Navy is gone, their Air Force is no longer, missiles, drones and everything else are being decimated, and their leaders have been wiped from the face of the earth." "We have unparalleled firepower, unlimited ammunition, and plenty of time," Trump said, signaling he's not ready for the war to end. "Watch what happens to these deranged scumbags today. They've been killing innocent people all over the world for 47 years, and now I, as the 47th President of the United States of America, am killing them." Today marks the two-week point of the war, which Trump says will end when "I want it to end." Yesterday at a White House event, Trump said, "the situation with Iran is moving along very rapidly. It's doing very well," and that Iran is "paying a big price." But despite the U.S. military destroying more than 5,000 targets with the most precise and effective air campaign in history, Iran remains defiant, and major U.S goals remain elusive. Iran's new leadership, likely controlled by the Islamic Republican Guard Corps, remains virulently anti-U.S. While its air force, navy, and missile forces have been decimated, Iran is still able to strike targets in the region with cheap Shahed drones, and for now it has effectively disrupted the world oil market by making passage through the Strait of Hormuz too risky for most shippers. And importantly, the U.S. seems to have no current find to find or secure Iran's stock of enriched uranium, enough to make 11 bombs. IRAN'S SURVIVAL STRATEGY: Iran's new Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, delivered his first public address yesterday in the form of a written statement read on state television. Khamenei was wounded during the initial days of the war, and his condition is unknown. But the statement, published in English by Iran's government, was full of vitriol, vows of revenge, and promises to fight to the death. "We have only targeted the U.S.," he said. "We will have no choice but to continue this course of action." "I advise the leaders of regional countries to shut down those bases as soon as possible, for they must surely have realized by now that the U.S.'s claims of ensuring security and peace have been nothing but lies," the statement continued. It included a vow to maintain a stranglehold on the Strait of Hormuz, where, at last count, at least 16 oil tankers, cargo, and other commercial ships have been hit by Iranian "projectiles." "The leverage of closing the Strait of Hormuz must definitely continue to be utilized," Khamenei said. MOJTABA KHAMENEI RELEASES FIRST STATEMENT AS SUPREME LEADER BUT DOES NOT APPEAR ON CAMERA 'SHORT-TERM PAIN TO SOLVE A LONG-TERM PROBLEM': In an appearance on CNN yesterday, Energy Secretary Chris Wright insisted the largest disruption of the oil market in history is only temporary, and that the U.S. will soon reopen the vital waterway. "The Straits of Hormuz needs to be and will be reopened. The U.S. military is there to solve a long-term problem," Wright said. "All of our military assets right now are focused on destroying Iran's ability to wage war and terrorize the neighborhood. When we can afford some additional assets to move tankers through the Straits of Hormuz, we will do that. That's coming." "We need to defang, and we are defanging Iran's abilities to threaten American troops in the areas, its allies, its neighbors, and global energy markets," Wright said. "So yes, you've got to go through short-term pain to solve a long-term problem." Earlier this week, Fox host Brian Kilmeade said Trump told him that ships should "show some guts," and that with Iran's navy sunk, "There's nothing to be afraid of." But while larger Iranian naval vessels have pretty much been eliminated, the New York Times reports Iran has begun using smaller boats to lay mines in the Strait. Iran's IRGC reportedly has thousands of small boats capable of laying mines, and a large stockpile of mines. "The statement from the leader of Iran reflects the fact that they think that they are, in many ways, winning this war by closing the Straits of Hormuz and creating a huge disruption in oil that makes it then politically difficult for the administration to be able to react," former CIA Director and Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said on CNN. "I just don't get the sense that the administration properly planned for what was going to be an obvious consequence to this war." IRAN WAR CAUSING LARGEST DISRUPTION OF OIL IN HISTORY, INTERNATIONAL ENERGY AGENCY SAYS 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 NOTE TO READERS: Daily on Defense will take a one-week spring break hiatus beginning Monday, March 30. We will return Monday, April 6. HAPPENING TODAY: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman Air Force Gen. Dan Caine are scheduled to hold an on-camera briefing at the Pentagon at 8 a.m. The briefing — the fourth Hegesth has given since the war started Feb. 28 — will be livestreamed at https://www.war.gov. FOUR AIRMEN DIE IN IRAQ CRASH: The U.S. Central Command confirmed this morning a mid-air accident, in which two U.S. KC-135 refueling aircraft apparently made contact with each other, causing one of the planes to crash. Four of the four crew members died in the crash. Two others are listed as missing. "Rescue efforts continue," CENTCOM said in a 6 a.m. statement. "The circumstances of the incident are under investigation. However, the loss of the aircraft was not due to hostile fire or friendly fire." An earlier statement said, "The incident occurred in friendly airspace during Operation Epic Fury," and that "one of the aircraft went down in western Iraq, and the second landed safely." OUTRAGE OVER RUSSIAN OIL WINDFALL: Just as oil prices are soaring, Russia is getting a break from U.S. sanctions as a temporary measure to bolster global oil supplies, as Iran continues to bottle up ships in the Arabian Gulf by blocking the Strait of Hormuz. In a post on X, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the U.S. was issuing a "temporary authorization to permit countries to purchase Russian oil currently stranded at sea," to "promote stability in global energy markets and keep prices low." While some experts have said Russia will be now able to sell oil at premium prices and could reap billions in profits, Bessent argued the "narrowly tailored, short-term measure" will not "provide significant financial benefit" to Russia because it "applies only to oil already in transit" and Russia "derives the majority of its energy revenue from taxes assessed at the point of extraction." In a joint statement, a dozen Democratic senators railed against the move. "The President's decision is particularly galling in light of public reporting that Russia is assisting Iran in targeting Americans in the Middle East," the statement said. "Sadly, this is the inevitable outcome of President Trump pushing America into a conflict with no apparent strategy and no endgame. Now is not the time to clear the way for sales for Russian oil majors and Russian-owned and shadow fleet vessels." STRAIT OF HORMUZ TRAFFIC HAS GROUND TO A HALT. HERE'S WHY IT'S VITAL TO GET IT BACK UP AND RUNNING THE RUNDOWN: Washington Examiner: to come Washington Examiner: Trump doesn't know if Iran war will nab him elusive Nobel Peace Prize Washington Examiner: Trump says US is 'destroying' Iranian regime and warns 'watch what happens' today Washington Examiner: Mojtaba Khamenei releases first statement as supreme leader but does not appear on camera Washington Examiner: Iran war causing largest disruption of oil in history, International Energy Agency says Washington Examiner: FBI offers $5,000 reward for information about drones stolen from Fort Campbell Washington Examiner: Strait of Hormuz traffic has ground to a halt. Here's why it's vital to get it back up and running Washington Examiner: Israel strikes Iran's Basij internal security forces at Tehran checkpoints Washington Examiner: UN estimates over 3 million Iranians displaced due to war Washington Examiner: Trump's evolving stance on Iran 'unconditional surrender' Washington Examiner: Zelensky needles US as he sends teams to Middle East to help American troops Washington Examiner: USS Ford experiences non-combat-related fire onboard, two sailors seeking medical attention Washington Examiner: Strait of Hormuz traffic has ground to a halt. Here's why it's vital to get it back up and running Washington Examiner: French soldier dies in Iraq drone attack amid Iran war, Macron says Washington Examiner: At least 15 senior CBP employees were pushed out under Noem: Sources Washington Examiner: House Democrats ask ICE for contracts on 2,500 marked vehicles overbought under Noem Washington Examiner: Suspect in Michigan synagogue attack was naturalized citizen born in Lebanon: DHS Washington Examiner: Old Dominion shooting suspect previously convicted for ISIS support Washington Examiner: Opinion: In Iran, heavy is the head that wears the crown Washington Examiner: Tom Rogan Opinion: Rightly seeking Iran off-ramp, Trump must first eliminate Mojtaba Khamenei AP: US hits Iran with intense strikes as Iranian air campaign drives oil prices higher New York Times: U.S. Officials Say Iran Is Laying Mines in the Strait of Hormuz Wall Street Journal: How the Iran War Unraveled the Gulf's Image as a Luxurious Safe Haven AP: Democratic senators file war powers resolution to check Trump on Cuba Defense One: Fighter Jets Are Downing Iranian Drones—a Dangerous, Expensive Mission Politico: Pentagon: First Week of Iran War Cost About $11B Breaking Defense: Iran Supplemental to Fund Mix of 'New Things' and Legacy Systems: Pentagon Comptroller The Telegraph: In the scarred border mountains of Iran, hopes of an uprising fade Air & Space Forces Magazine: B-1 Bomber Buildup at UK Base Hits Unprecedented Levels DefenseScoop: NATO Rewriting Integrated Air Defense Plans for the First Time in Decades, SACEUR Says Breaking Defense: Europe Can Lead Its Conventional Defense 'by 2035', EUCOM Commander Says The Hill: Hegseth Orders 'Ruthless, No-Excuses' Review of Military Legal Offices Air & Space Forces Magazine: Pentagon's Efforts to Boost Industrial Base Not Moving the Needle Yet: Report Task & Purpose: Military Families Face Waves of AI Videos Meant to Sow Discord and Tug at Heartstrings Air & Space Forces Magazine: Beast in the Machine THE CALENDAR: FRIDAY | MARCH 13 10 a.m. — National Institute for Deterrence Studies virtual seminar: "Toward a New Strategic Approach to U.S. Extended Nuclear Deterrence," with Paige Gasser, senior fellow at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Center for Global Security Research https://thinkdeterrence.com/events/toward-a-new-strategic-approach 10:30 a.m. — Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies virtual discussion: "Protecting and defending our interests in space," with Lt. Gen. Dennis Bythewood, commander, U.S. Space Forces – Space and commander, U.S. Space Command Combined Joint Force Space Component; and Charles Galbreath, director and senior resident fellow for spacepower studies at the Mitchell Institute Spacepower Advantage Center of Excellence https://www.mitchellaerospacepower.org/events/lt-gen-dennis-o-bythewood/ MONDAY | MARCH 16 2 p.m. — Center for Strategic and International Studies virtual discussion: "A Conversation with Ambassador Kevin Rudd," with CSIS President and CEO John Hamre, and Charles Edel, CSIS senior adviser and Australia chair https://www.csis.org/events/conversation-ambassador-kevin-rudd THURSDAY | MARCH 19 9 a.m. 1789 Massachusetts Ave. NW — American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research in-person discussion: "Poland, Northeastern Europe, and the Future of the Transatlantic Partnership," with Erik Brattberg, nonresident senior fellow, Atlantic Council; Ian Brzezinski, senior fellow, Atlantic Council; Heather Conley, nonresident senior fellow, American Enterprise Institute, Robert Doar, president, American Enterprise Institute; Radosław Fogiel, Member, Sejm of the Republic of Poland; Anniken Huitfeldt, Ambassador of Norway to the U.S.; Igor Janke, president, Warsaw Freedom Institute; Paweł Kowal, member, Sejm of the Republic of Poland; Andrew Michta, professor of strategic studies, University of Florida; Dalibor Rohac, senior fellow, American Enterprise Institute;Kori Schake, director of foreign and defense policy, American Enterprise Institute; andRep. Michael Turner (D-OH) https://www.aei.org/events/poland-northeastern-europe-and-the-future-of-the-transatlantic-partnership/? | | | | "What I've observed over the course of studying air power in history is that anytime you attack a civilian population, you usually end up finding that it just hardens their resolve. We take this all the way back to the London Blitz in World War II. The Brits just had a stiff upper lip and kept on fighting. And I think that's what we've seen in Ukraine as well." | | Air Force Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, commander, U.S. European Command and supreme NATO commander, testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Thursday |
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