Tensions boiled over in Washington as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth faced the press at the Pentagon, responding sharply to media reports that cast doubt on the effectiveness of recent U.S. airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities.

The unusually fiery press briefing came just days after conflicting reports began circulating—ones that clearly rubbed the administration the wrong way.

A War of Words Over Airstrike Claims

Flanked by Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Dan Caine, Hegseth firmly defended last weekend’s B-2 bomber operation, calling it a “historic success.”

But the secretary didn’t stop at statistics or strategy—he openly criticized the Pentagon press corps, accusing them of rooting against the Trump administration.

“You cheer against Trump so hard, it’s like it’s in your DNA and blood,” Hegseth said, visibly frustrated.

“You have to cheer against the efficacy of these strikes.”

He didn’t hold back in accusing some journalists of leaking classified assessments and spinning the narrative to undermine the military’s efforts.

Intelligence Disputes Stir Controversy

The press conference came in response to a CNN report that cited unnamed sources from within the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA).

According to that assessment, the strikes may have only temporarily set back Iran’s nuclear capabilities—by a matter of months.

That ran counter to public claims from the White House that Iran’s nuclear infrastructure had been completely destroyed. CIA Director John Ratcliffe said the program was “severely damaged,” though even that fell short of President Trump’s earlier claims of total obliteration.

Questions About Uranium Go Unanswered

One of the key sticking points is whether the strikes actually destroyed Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium.

Hegseth gave a vague response when asked directly, saying, “There’s nothing I’ve seen that suggests we didn’t hit what we wanted to hit,” but offered no hard proof that uranium was destroyed.

According to media leaks, the centrifuges used to enrich uranium may have survived the attack, and some believe that Iran had moved its uranium stockpile before the bombers arrived.

The DIA’s own conclusion described “moderate to severe” damage but only with “low confidence”—far from a slam dunk.

Clash Between Colleagues Adds More Fire

The press briefing got even more intense when Hegseth clashed with longtime Fox News Pentagon reporter Jennifer Griffin, who used to work alongside him at the network. When Griffin pressed Hegseth to clarify whether any of the highly enriched uranium had survived or been relocated, the secretary deflected.

Griffin pushed back, citing satellite images that showed several trucks near the Fordow nuclear site before the strike, implying that some materials may have been moved in advance.

Hegseth abruptly turned on her, saying, “Jennifer, you’ve been about the worst, the one who misrepresents the most intentionally what the President says.”

But Griffin wasn’t having it. Calm but firm, she reminded the room that she was the first journalist to report accurately on the targets, including ventilation shafts and the B-2 bombers used in the mission.

“So I take issue with that,” she said.

A Mission Under the Microscope

As the fallout continues, the big question remains: Did the airstrikes do what they were meant to? The administration insists they did, but early intelligence assessments suggest otherwise.

With such high stakes, and emotions running even higher, it’s clear the debate over this mission is far from over.

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