Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has attacked the media for questioning the efficacy of the US’s bombing campaign following a leaked report.
United States Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine have responded to a leaked intelligence report suggesting the military’s strikes against Iran’s nuclear facilities likely put the country back by mere months.
In a Thursday morning news conference from the Pentagon, the two officials maintained that Iran’s nuclear programme had been destroyed, echoing President Donald Trump’s version of events.
But that contradicted a preliminary report, produced by the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), saying the June 22 bombing campaign was a relatively minor setback for Iran’s nuclear capabilities, which could be restored within months.
“President Trump delivered the most complex and secretive military operation in history, and it was a resounding success resulting in the ceasefire agreement and the end of the 12-day war,” said Hegseth.
