In a recent press conference, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth delivered a scathing critique of CNN and The New York Times for their coverage of the U.S. strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities.
Both media outlets suggested that the strikes were only moderately successful, a claim that Hegseth vehemently disputed.
According to Western Journal, CNN's report stated that the air strikes on three nuclear facilities "likely only set it back by months, according to an early U.S. intelligence assessment that was described by seven people briefed on it."
The report further claimed that Iran's stockpile of enriched uranium remained unscathed and its centrifuges were largely intact. The New York Times echoed this sentiment, suggesting that the B-2 bomber attacks merely delayed Iran's nuclear weapons program by "a few months."
Hegseth addressed these reports during a news conference following a NATO meeting at The Hague in the Netherlands. He accused both CNN and The New York Times of spinning the news for political reasons. "The instinct of CNN, the instinct of The New York Times, is to try to find a way to spin it for their own political reasons to try to hurt President Trump or our country," Hegseth said.
He further criticized the media outlets for their reliance on leaks, questioning the motives of the leakers and the completeness of the information they provided.
Hegseth also highlighted the low confidence of the preliminary intelligence assessment used by the media outlets. He argued that the true extent of the damage inflicted by the U.S. strikes was buried under the rubble, making it difficult to accurately assess.
"Why is there low confidence? Because all of the evidence of what was just bombed by twelve 30,000-pound bombs is buried under a mountain, devastated and obliterated," he explained.
In a bold assertion, Hegseth claimed that Iran's nuclear program was "obliterated" and that the country was forced to negotiate due to the significant setback to their nuclear capabilities. "You know who else knows? Iran, and that's why they came to the table right away. Because their nuclear capabilities have been set back beyond what they thought was possible because of the courage of a commander-in-chief who led our troops despite what the fake news wants to say," Hegseth stated.
President Trump also weighed in on the matter, asserting that Israel had agents on the ground who confirmed the "total obliteration" of the targeted sites. He quoted Israels Atomic Energy Commission's battle damage assessment, which stated that the U.S. strike on Fordow had destroyed the site's critical infrastructure, rendering the enrichment facility totally inoperable.
Furthermore, Iran's foreign ministry spokesman, Esmail Baghaei, admitted that their nuclear installations had suffered significant damage. "Our nuclear installations have been badly damaged, thats for sure," Baghaei said.
CIA Director John Ratcliffe also refuted the claims made by CNN and The New York Times. He stated that based on credible evidence, Irans nuclear weapons program was severely damaged by the U.S. air strikes.
Ratcliffe's statement suggested that the destruction of several key Iranian facilities would necessitate years of rebuilding, a stark contrast to the "few months" setback reported by the aforementioned media outlets.
This incident underscores the importance of scrutinizing the sources and motivations behind news reports. It also highlights the potential for media outlets to spin narratives that align with their political leanings, underscoring the need for discerning readership and critical thinking in the consumption of news.
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