President Donald Trump on Thursday supplied enthusiastic reward of Protection Secretary Pete Hegseth’s briefing on the Pentagon, the place he supplied extra details about the U.S. strikes on Iran and defended the president.
“One of many best, {most professional}, and most ‘confirming’ Information Conferences I’ve ever seen! The Faux Information ought to hearth everybody concerned on this Witch Hunt, and apologize to our nice warriors, and everybody else!” Trump wrote on his conservative social media platform, the place earlier he had inspired followers to tune in.
Hegseth’s information convention got here amid a full-court press from Trump’s high officers disputing a preliminary U.S. intelligence evaluation that mentioned the bombings could have solely set Iran’s nuclear program again by a number of months.
“You wish to name it destroyed. You wish to name it defeated. You wish to name it obliterated. Select your phrase. This was an traditionally profitable assault and we must always rejoice as Individuals,” a defiant Hegseth mentioned from the rostrum as he railed towards the information media protection of the occasions and the leaked preliminary intelligence evaluation.
Protection Secretary Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Workers Air Power Gen. Dan Caine arrive for a information convention on the Pentagon, June 26, 2025 in Arlington, Virginia.
Andrew Harnik/Getty Photographs
“That is preliminary however leaked as a result of somebody had an agenda to attempt to muddy the waters and make it appear to be this historic strike wasn’t profitable,” he mentioned.
“Categorised data is leaked or peddled for political functions to attempt to make the president look dangerous,” he added.
The day prior, CIA Director John Ratcliffe and Director of Nationwide Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard posted statements saying their intelligence supported Trump’s description of the harm inflicted by the U.S. army operation.
“CIA can verify {that a} physique of credible intelligence signifies Iran’s Nuclear Program has been severely broken by the current, focused strikes,” Ratcliffe wrote in an announcement.
Gabbard wrote on X: “New intelligence confirms what @POTUS has acknowledged quite a few instances: Iran’s nuclear amenities have been destroyed. If the Iranians selected to rebuild, they must rebuild all three amenities (Natanz, Fordow, Esfahan) completely, which might seemingly take years to do.”
Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine, who on Sunday had mentioned it was “means too early” to make full harm assessments, at Thursday’s information convention declined to provide an in depth evaluation.
“By design, we do not grade our personal homework. The intelligence neighborhood does,” Caine mentioned.
“However this is what we all know following the assaults and the strikes on Fordo,” Caine continued. “First, that the weapons have been constructed, examined and loaded correctly. Two, the weapons have been launched on velocity and on parameters. Three, the weapons all guided to their meant targets and to their meant purpose factors. 4, the weapons functioned as designed, which means they exploded.”
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.
Andrew Harnik/Getty Photographs
“We all know this via different means, intelligence signifies that we now have that we have been visibly capable of see them,” Caine added. “And we all know that the trailing jets noticed the primary weapons perform and the pilots acknowledged quote this was the brightest explosion that I’ve ever seen. It actually appeared like daylight.'”
Caine was requested if he felt any political strain on easy methods to describe the strikes or their impression. “No, I’ve not, and no, I might not,” Caine responded.
Hegseth momentarily interrupted the questioning.
“The chairman right here, who’s not concerned in politics, he would not do politics. That is my lane — to grasp and translate and discuss these sorts of issues. So, I can use the phrase ‘obliterated,'” Hegseth mentioned, the time period Trump has used repeatedly.
Nonetheless, a number of questions stay not absolutely answered, notably how far precisely the strikes set again Iran’s nuclear capabilities and whether or not Iran was capable of transfer uranium away from the Fordo web site earlier than the bombings.
Hegseth and Caine have been requested in regards to the uranium throughout their 45-minute information convention. Neither supplied a transparent reply.
Hegseth first attacked the information reporter who requested the query, earlier than saying: “We’re taking a look at all facets of intelligence and ensuring we now have a way of what was the place.”
Later, Hegseth mentioned on uranium: “I am not conscious of any intelligence that I’ve reviewed that claims issues weren’t the place they have been alleged to be — moved or in any other case.”
President Trump, who was watching the information convention, took to his social media account to weigh in on hypothesis that Iran could have moved uranium due to satellite tv for pc pictures exhibiting vehicles lined up at Fordo within the days main as much as the assault.
“The automobiles and small vehicles on the web site have been these of concrete employees attempting to cowl up the highest of the shafts. Nothing was taken out of facility. Would take too lengthy, too harmful, and really heavy and onerous to maneuver!” Trump wrote on his social media web site.
