Protection Secretary Pete Hegseth on Thursday mentioned the U.S. army bomb strikes on three Iranian nuclear services had “considerably broken [Iran’s] nuclear program” and “set it again by years” in a confrontational information convention referred to as to counter an early intelligence evaluation from the Protection Intelligence Company that mentioned Iran’s program had been set again solely by months.
Hegseth described information reviews concerning the leaked DIA report as “half-truths” meant “to trigger doubt and manipulate” and as an alternative mentioned he would give attention to what he referred to as the “backside line” of Saturday’s strikes involving seven B-2 stealth bombers that dropped 14 huge ordnance penetrators on two of the three Iranian websites.
“President Trump directed probably the most complicated and secretive army operation in historical past, and it was a convincing success, leading to a ceasefire settlement and the tip of the 12-day warfare” in Iran, Hegseth mentioned.
“Due to decisive army motion, President Trump created the circumstances to finish the warfare, decimating – select your phrase – obliterating, destroying Iran’s nuclear capabilities.”
Protection Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks throughout a information convention on the Pentagon, June 26, 2025 in Arlington, Virginia.
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Requested twice throughout the briefing about enriched uranium that will have been moved from nuclear websites earlier than the assault — a key excellent query because the intelligence neighborhood assesses post-strike realities — Hegseth mentioned the Pentagon was “watching each side” and didn’t say the U.S. believed it was underneath rubble on the websites.
However he mentioned he hasn’t reviewed any intelligence “that claims issues weren’t the place they have been presupposed to be,” whether or not “moved or in any other case.”
The director common of the UN’s nuclear oversight company, Rafael Grossi, has mentioned he believes the fabric was moved from the websites earlier than the assaults.
Hegseth lashed out towards information media reporting concerning the early DIA evaluation and mentioned it was a “re-strike report” meant to gauge whether or not a web site would have to be hit once more.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Workers Air Power Gen. Dan Caine seems throughout a information convention on the Pentagon on June 26, 2025 in Arlington, Virginia.
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Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Workers, standing subsequent Hegseth, referred questions on injury assessments to the intelligence neighborhood.
Hegseth mentioned Caine informed him within the White Home State of affairs Room “that the primary reviews are nearly all the time flawed.”
“They’re nearly all the time incomplete,” he mentioned Caine informed him.
The protection secretary appeared to learn from the preliminary DIA evaluation that he mentioned “admits itself, in writing, that it requires weeks to build up the required knowledge to make” the evaluation it made.
That evaluation was made with “low confidence,” in keeping with Hegseth, and was not coordinated with the broader intelligence neighborhood.
Protection Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks throughout a information convention on the Pentagon, June 26, 2025 in Arlington, Virginia.
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Hegseth mentioned the DIA report was primarily based on a “linchpin assumption,” which, he mentioned, means “your complete premise relies on a linchpin” and “in case you’re flawed, the whole lot else is flawed.”
Caine, who had noticeably kept away from repeat Presdient Trump’s “obliterated” declare at a Sunday information convention the morning after the strikes, informed reporters Thursday that “the Joint Power doesn’t do [battle damage assessments] … the intelligence neighborhood does.”
As an alternative, he targeted on tactical particulars and seemingly described a mission that unfolded with no hitch.
Describing “what we all know,” Caine mentioned “the weapons functioned as designed, that means they exploded.” Planners “accounted for the whole lot,” the chairman mentioned.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Workers Air Power Gen. Dan Caine speaks throughout a information convention on the Pentagon, June 26, 2025 in Arlington, Virginia.
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“We all know that the trailing jets noticed the primary weapons operate and the pilots acknowledged, quote, ‘This was the brightest explosion that I’ve ever seen. It actually appeared like daylight.'”
Hegseth informed reporters it was “my lane” as the highest civilian chief on the Protection Division, to “do politics.” He mentioned it was a part of his job to “translate and discuss these kinds of issues.”
“So, I can use the phrase ‘obliterated.’ He might use ‘defeat, destroyed,’ [and] assess all of these issues.”
When requested, “Have you ever been pressured to vary your evaluation or give a extra rosy intelligence evaluation to us by any political components, whether or not it is the president or the secretary? And in case you have been, would you do this?” Caine mentioned that was an “simple” query to reply.
“I’ve by no means been pressured by the president or the secretary, to do something aside from inform them precisely what I am pondering,” he mentioned. “And that is precisely what I’ve performed.”
