The Trump administration is pushing back against a Defense Department report which claims that American strikes on Iran’s nuclear program were not as effective as touted by President Donald Trump.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth openly criticized the media for disseminating leaked information from within his department on Thursday.
According to the leaked report, the strikes may have only delayed Iran’s nuclear program by a few months, a claim that Hegseth described as irresponsible, attributing such narratives to a biased press corps.
He stated, “There are so many aspects of what our brave men and women did that, because of the hatred of this press corps, are undermined, as people are trying to leak and spin that it wasn’t successful.”
Hegseth firmly defended President Trump’s assertion that the program was effectively destroyed.
In a contrasting viewpoint, General Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, mentioned that the mission in question was more than a decade in the making.
Caine elaborated on the extensive efforts involved in gathering intelligence on Iran’s underground facilities and the design of a specific bomb aimed at eliminating them.
He emphasized, “This team understood the elements of target; weapons were designed, planned and delivered.”
This matter gained significant attention during President Trump’s recent talks with NATO leaders overseas.
Upon returning to Washington, Trump remarked that the U.S. pilots involved in the operation were displeased with the portrayal of their efforts, calling it ‘fake news’.
During a NATO Summit, he asserted, “The American strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities have set back Iran’s ability to develop nuclear weapons for many years to come.
This achievement can continue indefinitely if Iran does not get access to nuclear material, which it won’t.”
In response to the Pentagon’s report, the White House highlighted statements from Iran’s foreign ministry that acknowledged significant damage to Iran’s nuclear program.
Additionally, Israel’s claims suggested that the nuclear program had been set back by years, estimating effects much more substantial than what the Pentagon indicated.
As lawmakers engage in the ongoing discourse surrounding this issue, Senators are set to confer with national security officials in a classified briefing session on Thursday, following a delay from earlier in the week.
The House is scheduled for a similar briefing the next day.
These briefings occur as both the Senate and House deliberate resolutions aimed at imposing restrictions on the President’s ability to act unilaterally against Iran in future military operations.
There exists a bipartisan agreement among certain members of Congress who argue that President Trump has overstepped his constitutional powers.
The Constitution designates the authority to declare war to Congress, despite a historical pattern of presidents undertaking military actions independently.
As this situation evolves, updates on the Iran strikes and related developments in Washington, D.C. continue to be monitored closely.
image source from：wbaltv
