Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth blasted corporate media on Thursday for relying on “low-confidence” leaked intel to claim U.S. strikes only dented Iran’s nuclear program. In a Pentagon briefing, Hegseth said updated assessments now confirm the weekend mission “obliterated” multiple facilities and will set Tehran back years—but outlets hostile to President Donald Trump ignored that evidence.
The fake news has turned to LEAKS from a preliminary low-confidence report that will continue to be REFINED as additional intelligence becomes available.
HERE ARE THE FACTS: pic.twitter.com/OFJVeIVvB4
— DOD Rapid Response (@DODResponse) June 26, 2025
Hegseth noted the initial Defense Intelligence Agency memo—circulated before full battle-damage analysis was complete—was clearly marked “preliminary” and “low confidence.” Yet reporters rushed those talking points into print, he said, because they “hate Trump in their DNA” and were eager to portray the operation as ineffective.
The secretary contrasted that coverage with the complexity of the mission itself: B-2 pilots flying 36-hour sorties, F-35 escorts, in-flight refueling, and integrated missile-defense teams. “How many stories have been written about how hard it is to refuel mid-air, or to shoot a drone from an F-15?” he asked. “That’s the real story—our pilots executed flawlessly.”
Hegseth warned that selective leaks not only smear the president but also disrespect the service members who carried out one of the most challenging precision strikes in U.S. history. “Classified information gets peddled for political purposes, and it undermines the success of incredible B-2 and F-35 crews who accomplished what other presidents only talked about.”
He encouraged reporters to stop “rooting against Trump” and acknowledge that the strikes achieved their strategic goal: dismantling Iran’s path to a nuclear weapon. “Call it destroyed, defeated, or obliterated—this was a historic success that offers a real chance to prevent a nuclear Iran.”