Secretary of Defense Mark Esper gave his first press briefing Wednesday since entering office, ending the year-long drought of press briefings by a sitting Secretary of Defense.

The newly-confirmed secretary touched on a variety of issues, ranging from the Pentagon’s ongoing effort to refocus on adversaries like China and Russia to the U.S.-led operation defending shipping from Iran in the Persian Gulf. The crowded Pentagon briefing room was filled with dozens of journalists and photographers, leading Esper to joke, “I haven’t seen this room filled this much in a while.”