Just moments ago, Sentcom announcing day 11 of U.S. air strikes on Iran, and today the country's

top defense official was asked to explain how the military, he said, was, quote, destroyed and made

combat ineffective, just days into the fighting. That was more than four months ago, is still a deadly threat right now.

John King here in for Anderson. That question

came up late in Defense Secretary Pete Higgs' to parents today for the Senate Appropriations

Committee. He was there seeking nearly $70 billion in new funding for a war he has already

said has already cost about $38 billion. But he spent a good deal of his time being asked

what that money has bought so far and how his and the administration's claims about the war square with the reality of today.

Here's part of an exchange. He had a lengthy exchange with Georgia Democrat John Ossoff.

Mr. Secretary, you stated four months ago that Iran's military had been rendered, quote, combat ineffective

for years to come. Has Iran's military been for the last four months combat ineffective?

It's been set back not just years, but likely decades.

Early in the conflict, day three, you said one of those core objectives was to, quote, destroy

the missile threat. And as you restated on day five, to said one of those core objectives was to, quote, destroy the missile threat. And as you

restated on day five, to quote, obliterate Iran's missiles and drones. Those were clearly and repeatedly

stated core objectives of the campaign, which four months ago you declared had been completed

victoriously with every single objective achieved.

Were those objectives achieved four months ago?

No one ever stated that every single missile was gone.

Ultimately, combat ineffective means they're not able to dig them out of their UGFs and shoot at us. It doesn't mean they don't have underground facilities where they put missiles in them and hold on to them

because they're the world's largest state sponsor of terrorism. So just to review, you will not answer whether your statement

made on the 14th day of the war that Iran's military had been, quote, destroyed and made

...