Hegseth launches extraordinary attack on media over reporting on US strikes on Iran
Hegseth is very aggressively and bizarrely attacking the press corps, claiming:
Because you cheer against Trump so hard – it’s in your DNA and in your blood to cheer against Trump, because you want him not to be successful so bad – you have to cheer against the efficacy of these strikes. You have to hope that maybe they weren’t effective.
He then accuses the media of “spinning” leaked information “in every way we can to try to cause doubt and manipulate the public mind over whether or not our brave pilots were successful”.
Hegseth has some suggestions for stories the media could write – including “how hard it is to fly a plane for 36 hours”, and blames “the hatred of this press corp” on stories like that not happening, adding: “It’s irresponsible.”
Key events
Iran moved uranium from Fordow before US strikes, EU capitals believe – FT
Contrary to that, the Financial Times is reporting that European capitals believe Iran’s highly enriched uranium stockpile remains largely intact following US strikes on its main nuclear sites.
The newspaper, citing two people briefed on preliminary intelligence assessments, said European capitals believe Iran’s stockpile of 408 kilogram of uranium enriched close to weapons-grade levels was not concentrated in Fordow, one of its two main enrichment sites, at the time of last weekend’s attack.
Trump says nothing taken out of facility at Iran nuclear site ahead of US bombing
Trump has claimed that nothing was taken out of the facility at the Iranian nuclear site struck by the US last weekend, as his administration continues its campaign to insist that the strikes were more effective than early intelligence has found.
The president wrote on Truth Social minutes ago, without providing evidence:
The cars and small trucks at the site were those of concrete workers trying to cover up the top of the shafts. Nothing was taken out of facility. Would take too long, too dangerous, and very heavy and hard to move!
We just heard similar from defense secretary Pete Hegseth who said he was unaware of any intelligence suggesting Iran had moved any of its highly enriched uranium to shield it from US strikes on its nuclear program.
Hegseth ends the briefing by reiterating that the attack was “devastating” and “historic, setting back the Iranian nuclear program untold number of years”.
Caine says he hasn’t been pressured to change assessment of US strikes on Iran
Asked if he’s been pressured to change his assessment of US strikes on Iran, General Dan Caine says:
I’ve never been pressured by the president of the secretary to do anything other than tell them exactly what I’m thinking and that’s exactly what I’ve done.
No known intelligence that Iran moved uranium, Hegseth says
Pete Hegseth says he is unaware of any intelligence suggesting Iran had moved any of its highly enriched uranium to shield it from US strikes on Iran’s nuclear program over the weekend.
I’m not aware of any intelligence that I’ve reviewed that says things were not where they were supposed to be, moved or otherwise.
“I have chills literally talking about this,” says Caine as he recounts the mission.
Caine is going into detail about the people behind the mission and a map of the Fordow enrichment site.
Top US general: there were ‘indications’ of Iran’s intention to attack military bases
Chairman of the joint chiefs of staff air force general Dan Caine says that on Monday morning they began to receive “indications and warnings that Iran intended to attack US bases in the region” and moved most personnel out of the area.
Hegseth – of Signal group chat leak fame – is now bemoaning that the press is reporting stories based on “leaked classified information”.
Time and time again, classified information is leaked or peddled for political purposes to try to make the president look bad.
Hegseth launches extraordinary attack on media over reporting on US strikes on Iran
Hegseth is very aggressively and bizarrely attacking the press corps, claiming:
Because you cheer against Trump so hard – it’s in your DNA and in your blood to cheer against Trump, because you want him not to be successful so bad – you have to cheer against the efficacy of these strikes. You have to hope that maybe they weren’t effective.
He then accuses the media of “spinning” leaked information “in every way we can to try to cause doubt and manipulate the public mind over whether or not our brave pilots were successful”.
Hegseth has some suggestions for stories the media could write – including “how hard it is to fly a plane for 36 hours”, and blames “the hatred of this press corp” on stories like that not happening, adding: “It’s irresponsible.”
Hegseth is now reading out various quotes from UN, IDF, CIA and Iranian figures suggesting that the nuclear sites were “severely damaged” and “effectively destroyed”, supposedly contrary to the DIA’s early findings.
Pete Hegseth cites a statement from Trump’s CIA director to refute press reports that Iran’s nuclear program isn’t as obliterated as Trump wants people to believe pic.twitter.com/zndtWYCIg9
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) June 26, 2025
Hegseth calls the UN “no friend to the United States, or certainly Israel often”.
Hegseth attacks the media for reporting on the “preliminary assessment” by the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), claiming “there’s low confidence in this particular report”. (Just a reminder that the DIA is the intelligence arm of the Pentagon – Hegseth’s own department).
He said:
This was preliminary and leaked because someone had an agenda to try to muddy the waters and make it look like this historic strike wasn’t successful.
