Hegseth announces new intel on US bombing Iran, criticizes media for pushing preliminary report
Articles / Government / White House Hegseth announces new intel on US bombing Iran, criticizes media for pushing preliminary report Initial reports, including a preliminary Defense Intelligence Agency report (DIA), found differing conclusions about the success of the US strikes on Iran’s three nuclear processing sites. By: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, speaking at a Pentagon press conference on Thursday, defended the U.S. military’s recent strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, asserting that the operation “devastated” Iran’s nuclear ambitions. He emphasized that the strikes, part of “Operation Midnight Hammer,” targeted only nuclear sites at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan, and did not aim at Iranian troops or civilians. Hegseth praised President Donald Trump’s leadership, calling the mission “bold” and “brilliant,” and highlighted the skill of American pilots who flew 36 hours through enemy territory. After mainstream media sources reported on the initial Defense Intelligence Agency report, he took aim at outlets like The New York Times and CNN for what he called “fake news” that misrepresented the operation’s success, demeaning the pilots involved. Hegseth cited the United Nations’ Atomic Energy Commission as calling the damage “enormous.” He also pointed to CIA Director John Ratcliff saying Iran’s nuclear program has been “severely damaged.” In a particularly pointed moment, Hegseth looked at the media and said, “You, and I mean specifically YOU, the press, you cheer against Trump so hard, it’s in your DNA and in your blood to cheer against Trump, because you want him not to be successful so bad, you have to cheer against the efficacy of these strikes. You have to hope maybe they weren’t effective.” Hegseth also warned Iran that any forceful retaliation would prompt a U.S. response “significantly exceeding” the initial strikes. He underscored that the U.S. does not seek war but is prepared to act decisively to protect American interests and allies. Hegseth hailed the men and women who carried out the mission and questioned press coverage, asking, “How many stories have been written about how hard it is to, I don’t know, fly a plane for 36 hours? Has MSNBC done that story? Has Fox? Have we done the story how hard that is?” TOP STORIES Hegseth announces new intel on US bombing Iran, criticizes media for pushing preliminary report Trump’s next battlefields: a NATO-snubbing Spain and a conflicted U.S. intel community Trump bombed Iran into a ceasefire and sent a loud message to China and Russia Ten years after Trump’s golden escalator announcement, Republicans campaign on transformed agenda ‘Rubber stamp’ vaccine advisory board fired by RFK Jr. for conflicts of interest has revealing past LATEST EPISODES Trump’s precision strike on Iran sent a global message, Victoria Coates talks on restoring American deterrence Iranian threats, transgender ideology & the ‘Nimbus’ COVID variant: The fight for sanity in a WOKE world Leftists chant, “No Kings” but it was Biden’s Admin who directed FBI to target innocent Americans for beliefs Fleitz: Biden’s weak Iran policy made regime $100B wealthier, funded Hamas Oct. 7 slaughter of Israelis ‘One electromagnetic pulse attack & we’re set back to 1871, Iran is plotting it now,’ warns top expert RELATED ARTICLES Hegseth announces new intel on US bombing Iran, criticizes media for pushing preliminary report Trump’s next battlefields: a NATO-snubbing Spain and a conflicted U.S. intel community Trump bombed Iran into a ceasefire and sent a loud message to China and Russia Ten years after Trump’s golden escalator announcement, Republicans campaign on transformed agenda ‘Rubber stamp’ vaccine advisory board fired by RFK Jr. for conflicts of interest has revealing past Weekend of LA riots shows media hasn’t learned anything from America’s election of Trump Second Lady Vance launches reading initiative to combat abysmal literacy rates Weaponized sugar pill? Homeland ends controversial and costly Quiet Skies domestic spying program Trump moves on from Musk rift, touts agenda victories Culture, sports and business worlds all dialing back support of ‘Pride Month’