00:00Chair, and I recognize this gentleman from California, Mr. Khanna.
00:03Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
00:04Mr. Secretary, I'm hoping we can start where we may have common ground.
00:09No war in Iran.
00:11In 2016, President Trump was one of the few people on the Republican stage
00:16to have the guts to say that George W. Bush's war in Iraq was an utter disaster.
00:21He promised the American people no endless wars.
00:24Tucker Carlson has said that thousands of Americans will die
00:28if there's a war in Iran.
00:31He is cautioning that currently neocons are trying to get President Trump into a war in Iran.
00:38Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene has said the American people don't want to bomb Iran.
00:44Will you today assure the American people and the MAGA movement
00:48that you will not bomb Iran unless we are hit?
00:53Congressman, it's good to hear you quoting conservatives.
01:01When they're right, I quote them.
01:04I will tell you this.
01:05The President has been earnestly and completely committed to a peace process,
01:10has given Iran every opportunity, those talks ongoing,
01:13but he also fully recognizes the threat that Iran, with a nuclear weapon, would exist.
01:18Will you commit to us not bombing them?
01:21I mean, that's what the conservative MAGA movement is calling for it online.
01:24You'll see.
01:25I mean, they want a commitment that we not bomb Iran unless we're directly hit.
01:30Well, here in this forum, it wouldn't be prudent for me to commit or not commit.
01:33My job is to be postured and prepared in the region, just as the chairman.
01:37How about this?
01:38Would you agree with this analysis that Netanyahu is itching for a fight?
01:44If Netanyahu uses American missiles to hit Iran, he's going to drag us into a war there
01:50because Iran's going to say they're using American missiles.
01:52Our military knows that you cannot, just through hits, eliminate Iran's nuclear capability.
01:59They'll simply go underground, and they will then end monitoring.
02:03And unlike Iraq, they're in heavily civilian sites.
02:06Will you stand up today and make it clear to Netanyahu that that escalation, what he's threatening just yesterday,
02:14is not in the American interest, that he should not be dragging America into war with Iran?
02:21Well, Congressman, that question included a lot of speculation.
02:26What I know is that Bibi Netanyahu is going to put his country first, and we're going to put our country first,
02:30and we're positioned properly in the region to ensure that we're prepared for any potential contingency.
02:36Are you concerned about his escalation into Iran, and will you assure the American people
02:40you're going to do everything possible to keep us out of a war in Iran?
02:43We remain, as the president has said, committed to creating the conditions for peace,
02:48creating the conditions for talks where Iran does not have the ability to develop a nuclear weapon.
02:54I'm running out of time, two minutes, so let me ask you another matter.
02:58Senator Baldwin asked you about the legal authority for the Marines in my state.
03:04I disagree with you.
03:05I thought, not only do I not want Marines in Iran, I don't want them in California.
