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Vice President J.D. Vance on Thursday delivered a heartfelt message during a cabinet meeting at the White House as Christians in America are poised to enter Holy Week in the lead-up to Easter.
Amid the ongoing military conflict with Iran, Vice President Vance noted, “I’m very mindful, of course, that we have a lot of folks overseas fighting very ably for the United States of America; I know Pete and the whole team – we’re very proud of them, but we’re fighting at a time where we are about to enter as Christians, the most important week of the Christian calendar, the Holy Week that celebrates the return of Jesus Christ to Jerusalem.”
The United States has nearly reached the four-week mark in this massive military campaign against Iran, with the U.S. Central Command confirming that the U.S. military itself has struck more than 10,000 targets so far.
“I want to say to all of my fellow American Christians, but particularly those serving in the Gulf, that I wish you all a very blessed Easter, a very blessed Holy Week, and we continue to stand behind you, and continue to support you every step of the way,” the vice president said.
On Thursday, the president’s cabinet provided updates about the state of Operation Epic Fury. President Trump said Iran was “begging to make a deal” but was unsure if the United States would be “willing to do that.”
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth argued that Iran’s modern military has effectively been dismantled over the past several weeks, commenting, “This is stuff for the history books. This is stuff for legacy. Mr. President, you are acting now to ensure future generations do not have to live under the threat of a nuclear-armed Iran.”
And while no deal has yet been reached, Secretary Hegseth said operations will continue.
“We pray for a deal, and we welcome a deal, and we have the ultimate dealmaker to make it happen – but in the meantime, as I said yesterday, the Department of War will continue negotiating with bombs,” he continued.
U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff confirmed that the U.S. diplomatic team has presented a 15-point “action list that forms the framework for a peace deal” to Iran, through Pakistani intermediaries. “We will see where things lead and if we can convince Iran that this is the inflection point, with no good alternatives for them, other than more death and destruction,” Witkoff stated.