Protection Secretary Hegseth slams media for undermining Iran nuclear strikes

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Secretary of Protection Pete Hegseth excoriated reporters at a Pentagon press briefing on Thursday, accusing them of rooting for the failure of President Donald Trump and the navy’s current strikes towards Iran’s three key nuclear websites.

Hegseth addressed current media stories citing a leaked low-confidence preliminary report from the Protection Intelligence Company (DIA) that recommended U.S. strikes towards Iran doubtless put the nation again mere months.

"You, the press, particularly you, the press corps, since you cheer towards Trump so onerous," he mentioned. "It is like in your DNA and in your blood to cheer towards Trump since you need him not to achieve success so dangerous. It's important to cheer towards the efficacy of those strikes. It's important to hope perhaps they weren't efficient."

A DIA supply previously told Fox News that the "low confidence" evaluation was based mostly on simply "sooner or later’s value of intelligence reporting" and extra intelligence has been gathered within the days since by different sources and strategies.

TRUMP, HEGSETH SEETHE AT ‘FAKE NEWS’ MEDIA FOR DOUBTING US STRIKES OBLITERATED IRANIAN NUCLEAR SITES: ‘SCUM’

Protection Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks throughout a information convention on the Pentagon, Thursday, June 26, 2025, in Washington. (AP Picture/Kevin Wolf)

Hegseth accused the press of misrepresenting the details.

"Possibly the best way the Trump administration is represented is not true. So let's take half truths, spun info, leaked info, after which spin it," Hegseth mentioned of the media. "Spin it in each means we will to attempt to trigger doubt and manipulate the thoughts, the general public thoughts, over whether or not or not our courageous pilots had been profitable."

Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine, proper, held a briefing with reporters on the Pentagon on Thursday. Hegseth railed towards the press corp's protection of the current U.S. strikes towards Iranian nuclear websites. (AP Picture/Kevin Wolf)

He additionally criticized the media for not shining a light-weight on the American service members who carried out the strikes on Saturday and defended Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar from Iran's counterattack.

A map exhibits nuclear websites in Iran that had been struck by the US throughout Operation Midnight Hammer. (Fox Information)

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Hegseth then chided reporters, alleging "the pretend information" of performing irresponsibly with their protection, saying "categorized info is leaked or peddled for political functions to attempt to make the president look dangerous."

"What's actually occurring is you are undermining the success of unbelievable B-2 pilots and unbelievable F-35 pilots and unbelievable refueling and unbelievable air defenders who completed their mission, set again a nuclear program in ways in which different presidents would have dreamed," he mentioned. "How about we rejoice that?"

Hegseth described the Iranian nuclear sites focused in Operation Midnight Hammer had been "destroyed," "defeated," and "obliterated" in what he known as "a traditionally profitable assault."

A map exhibits harm to Iran's Fordow nuclear website after being struck by the US in Operation Midnight Hammer. (Fox Information)

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"We must always rejoice it as People, and it provides us an opportunity to have peace, probability to have a deal and a chance to stop a nuclear Iran, which is one thing President Trump talked about for 20 years," he mentioned. "And no different presidents had the braveness to really accomplish that."