What started as a routine Pentagon press conference quickly turned fiery when Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confronted reporters over claims that recent U.S. airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities weren’t as effective as the White House had claimed.
Standing beside Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine, Hegseth fiercely defended the bombing mission, calling it a “historic success” and slamming the media for what he believes is a deliberate attempt to downplay the operation.
Hegseth Accuses Reporters of Anti-Trump Bias
Hegseth didn’t hold back. In front of the Pentagon press corps, he accused journalists of rooting against former President Trump—and, by extension, undermining the military’s success.
“You cheer against Trump so hard, it’s like it’s in your DNA,” he snapped.
“You have to cheer against the efficacy of these strikes.”
Clearly frustrated, Hegseth insisted that those suggesting the mission failed were being “irresponsible,” and said attempts to leak contradictory information were politically motivated.
Conflicting Reports Emerge About the Strike’s Impact
The outburst followed a CNN report claiming that the bombing run would only delay Iran’s nuclear capabilities by a few months.
That report cited unnamed sources familiar with a classified assessment from the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), suggesting that key parts of Iran’s nuclear infrastructure—including uranium stockpiles and centrifuges—may have survived or been moved before the strikes.
This stood in direct contrast to the Trump administration’s narrative that the strikes had obliterated the nuclear program.
CIA and Pentagon Paint Different Pictures
CIA Director John Ratcliffe added his voice to the conversation, stating that Iran’s program was “severely damaged”—but his words stopped short of confirming the total destruction President Trump had claimed.
When Hegseth was pressed by reporters about whether enriched uranium was actually destroyed, his answers were vague.
“There’s nothing I’ve seen that suggests we didn’t hit what we wanted to hit,” he said—without offering proof that the uranium stockpile had been destroyed.
Longtime Pentagon Reporter Challenges Hegseth
One of the more dramatic moments came when Jennifer Griffin, a respected Fox News Pentagon correspondent and Hegseth’s former colleague, pushed him for clarity on whether the highly enriched uranium was still intact.
Griffin referred to satellite images suggesting that trucks were spotted at the Fordow site days before the attack—implying that Iran might have moved the uranium ahead of time.
Hegseth deflected again, claiming the U.S. was monitoring every detail, before turning the confrontation personal.
“Jennifer, you’ve been about the worst,” he said, accusing her of consistently misrepresenting the president’s comments.
Griffin Pushes Back With Her Own Receipts
Unfazed, Griffin stood her ground. She reminded Hegseth that she had been the first to report several key details about the mission—including the targeting of ventilation shafts and the use of B-2 bombers.
“I was the first to report the ventilation shafts, the refueling process, and the entire mission, with great accuracy,” she replied sharply. “So I take issue with that.”