White House redefines Trump’s desire for Iran’s ‘unconditional surrender’

THE NUMBER OF US CASUALTIES

THE NUMBER OF US CASUALTIES RISES AND OIL PRICES ARE

RISES AND OIL PRICES ARE GETTING WHIPSAWED AMID

GETTING WHIPSAWED AMID CONFUSION ABOUT THE POTENTIAL

CONFUSION ABOUT THE POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE SUPPLY DISRUPTIONS.

FOR SEVERE SUPPLY DISRUPTIONS. IT COMES AS DEFENSE SECRETARY

IT COMES AS DEFENSE SECRETARY HEGSETH, ALONGSIDE THE CHAIR OF

HEGSETH, ALONGSIDE THE CHAIR OF THE JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF, THIHS

THE JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF, THIS MORNING, SAID U.S. MILITARY

MORNING, SAID U.S. MILITARY ACTION IS AGAIN RAMPING UP.

ACTION IS AGAIN RAMPING UP. >> TODAY WILL BE YET AGAIN OUR

>> TODAY WILL BE YET AGAIN OUR MOST INTENSE DAY OF STRIKES

MOST INTENSE DAY OF STRIKES INSIDE IRAN. THE MOST FIGHTERS,

INSIDE IRAN. THE MOST FIGHTERS, THE MOST BOMBERS, THE MOST

THE MOST BOMBERS, THE MOST STRIKES, INTELLIGENCE MORE

STRIKES, INTELLIGENCE MORE REFINED AND BETTER THAN EVER.

REFINED AND BETTER THAN EVER. >> WE'RE ALSO NOW LEARNING THAT,

>> WE'RE ALSO NOW LEARNING THAT, ACCORDING TO THE PENTAGON,

ACCORDING TO THE PENTAGON, APPROXIMATELY 140 U.S. SERVICE

APPROXIMATELY 140 U.S. SERVICE MEMBERS HAVE BEEN WOUNDED SINCE

MEMBERS HAVE BEEN WOUNDED SINCE THE START OF OPERATION E EPIC

THE START OF OPERATION EPIC FURY. THE NUMBER OF CASUALTIES,

FURY. THE NUMBER OF CASUALTIES, RENEWING QUESTIONS ABOUT THE

RENEWING QUESTIONS ABOUT THE ADMINISTRATION'S ENDGAME AS IT

ADMINISTRATION'S ENDGAME AS IT SENDS MIXED MESSAGES ABOUT THE

SENDS MIXED MESSAGES ABOUT THE TIMELINE FOR U.S. INVOLVEMENT.

TIMELINE FOR U.S. INVOLVEMENT. >> WHAT I WANT YOUR VIEWERS TO

>> WHAT I WANT YOUR VIEWERS TO UNDERSTAND IS THIS IS ONLY JUST

UNDERSTAND IS THIS IS ONLY JUST THE BEGINNING.

THE BEGINNING. >> MR. PRESIDENT, , YOU'VE SAID

>> MR. PRESIDENT, YOU'VE SAID THE WAR IS, QUOTE, VERY

THE WAR IS, QUOTE, VERY COMPMPLETE, BUT YOUR DEFENSE

COMPLETE, BUT YOUR DEFENSE SECRETARY SAYS THIHIS IS JUST TE

SECRETARY SAYS THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING. SO WHICICH IS IT? AND

BEGINNING. SO WHICH IS IT? AND HOW LONG SHOULD AMERICANS BE?

HOW LONG SHOULD AMERICANS BE? >> WELL, I THINK YOU CAN SAY

>> WELL, I THINK YOU CAN SAY BOTH. THE BEGINNING. IT'S THE

BOTH. THE BEGINNING. IT'S THE BEGINNING OF BUILDING A NEW

BEGINNING OF BUILDING A NEW COUNTRY. WE COULD CALLLL IT A

COUNTRY. WE COULD CALL IT A TREMENDOUS SUCCESS RIGHT NOW,

TREMENDOUS SUCCESS RIGHT NOW, AS WE LEAVE HERE, I I COULD CALL

AS WE LEAVE HERE, I COULD CALL IT. OR WE COULD GO FURURTHER AND

IT. OR WE COULD GO FURTHER AND WE'RE GOING TO GO FURTHER.

WE'RE GOING TO GO FURTHER. >> HE GETS TO CONTROL THE

>> HE GETS TO CONTROL THE THROTTLE. HE'S THE ONE DECIDING.

THROTTLE. HE'S THE ONE DECIDING. HE'S THE ONE ELECTED ON BEHALF

HE'S THE ONE ELECTED ON BEHALF OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE WHEN

OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE WHEN WE'RE ACHIEVING THOSE

WE'RE ACHIEVING THOSE PARTICULAR OBJECTITIVES. AND SO

PARTICULAR OBJECTIVES. AND SO IT'S NOT FOR ME TO POSIT

IT'S NOT FOR ME TO POSIT WHETHER IT'S THE BEGINNING, THE

WHETHER IT'S THE BEGINNING, THE MIDDLE OR THE END.

MIDDLE OR THE END. >> PRESIDENT TRUMPMP WILL

>> PRESIDENT TRUMP WILL DETERMINE WHENEN IRAN IS IN A

DETERMINE WHEN IRAN IS IN A PLACE OF UNCONDITIONAL

PLACE OF UNCONONDITIONAL SURRENDER, WHEN THEY NO LONGER

SURRENDER, WHEN THEY NO LONGER POSE A CREDIBLE AND DIDIRECT

POSE A CREDIBLE AND DIRECT THREAT TO THE UNITITED STATES OF

THREAT TO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND OUR R ALLIES.

AMERICA AND OUR ALLIES. >> ADDING TO THE UNCERTAINTY

>> ADDING TO THE UNCERTAINTY LAST NIGHT, THE PRESIDENT

LAST NIGHT, THE PRESIDENT SUGGESTING HE COULD FURTHER

SUGGESTING HE COULD FURTHER ESCALATE THE WAR IF OIL PRICES

ESCALATE THE WAR IF OIL PRICES CONTINUE TO RISE. AND THIS

CONTINUE TO RISE. AND THIS MORNING, WRITING ON SOCIAL

MORNING, WRITING ON SOCIAL MEDIA, QUOTE, IF IRAN DODOES

MEDIA, QUOTE, IF IRAN DOES ANYTHING THAT STOPS THE FLOW OF

ANYTHING THAT STOPS THE FLOW OF OIL WITHIN THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ,

OIL WITHIN THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ, THEY WILL BE HIT BY THE UNITED

THEY WILL BE HIT BY THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 20 TIMES

STATES OF AMERICA 20 TIMES HARDER THAN THEY HAVE BEEN HIT

HARDER THAN THEY HAVE BEEN HIT THUS FAR. HE WENT ON TO

THUS FAR. HE WENT ON TO THREATEN DEATH, FIRE AND FURY,

THREATEN DEATH, FIRE AND FURY, IRAN'S REVOLUTIONARY GUARD

IRAN'S REVOLUTIONARY GUARD RESPONDING DEFIANTLY THAT IT

RESPONDING DEFIANTLY THAT IT WILL NOT ALLOW THE EXPORORT OF

WILL NOT ALLOW THE EXPORT OF EVEN ONE LITER OF OIL FROM THE

EVEN ONE LITER OF OIL FROM THE REGION UNTIL THE U.S. AND

REGION UNTIL THE U.S. AND ISRAEL STOP THE STRIKES. THE

ISRAEL STOP THE STRIKES. THE COMPETING CLAIMS ABOUT THE WAR

COMPETING CLAIMS ABOUT THE WAR CONTINUE TO ROIL THE PRICE OF

CONTINUE TO ROIL THE PRICE OF OIL, WHICH INITIALLY FELL AFTER

OIL, WHICH INITIALLY FELL AFTER ENERGY SECRETARY WRIGHT POSTED

ENERGY SECRETARY WRIGHT POSTED A VIDEO TODAY SAYING THE U.S.

A VIDEO TODAY SAYING THE U.S. NAVY SUCCESSFULLY ESCORTED AN

NAVY SUCCESSFULLY ESCORTED AN OIL TANKER THROUGH THE STRAIT

OIL TANKER THROUGH THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ. BUT M MOMENTS LATER E

OF HORMUZ. BUT MOMENTS LATER HE DELETED THE POST. WHITE HOUSE

DELETED THE POST. WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY KAROLINE

PRESS SECRETARY KAROLINE LEAVITT THEN CLARIFYING THERE

LEAVITT THEN CLARIFYING THERE WAS NO ESCORT THROUGH THE

WAS NO ESCORT THROUGH THE STRAIT.

STRAIT. >> I CAN CONFIRM THAT THE U.S.

>> I CAN CONFIRM THAT THE U.S. NAVY HAS NOT ESCORTED A TANKER

NAVY HAS NOT ESCORTED A TANKER OR VESSEL AT THIS TIME, THOUOUGH

OR VESSEL AT THIS TIME, THOUGH OF COURSE THAT'S AN OPTION. THE

OF COURSE THAT'S AN OPTION. THE PRESIDENT HAS SAID HE WILL

PRESIDENT HAS SAID HE WILL ABSOLUTELY UTILIZE IF AND WHEN

ABSOLUTELY UTILIZE IF AND WHEN NECESSARY AT THE APPROPRIATE

NECESSARY AT THE APPROPRIATE TIME.

TIME. >> LEAVITT ALSO VOWING THAT OIL

>> LEAVITT ALSO VOWING THAT OIL AND GAS PRICES WILL DROP

AND GAS PRICES WILL DROP RAPIDLY ONCE THE U.S. MISSION

RAPIDLY ONCE THE U.S. MISSION IS COMPLETE. RIGHT NOW, , THE

IS COMPLETE. RIGHT NOW, THE PRICE OF OIL IS ROUGHLY 25%

PRICE OF OIL IS ROUGHLY 25% HIGHER THAN WHEN THE CONFLICT

HIGHER THAN WHEN THE CONFLICT BEGAN, AND PRICES AT THE PUMP

BEGAN, AND PRICES AT THE PUMP HAVE GONE UP ROUGHLY 20% ON

HAVE GONE UP ROUGHLY 20% ON AVERAGE. JOINING ME NOW IS NBC

AVERAGE. JOINING ME NOW IS NBC NEWS CHIEF WHITE HOUSE

NEWS CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT PETER ALALEXANDER,

CORRESPONDENT PETER ALEXANDER, NBC NEWS SENIOR NATIONAL