President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth forcefully pushed back Thursday against a preliminary U.S. intelligence assessment suggesting that recent airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities caused only limited damage. They criticized the report as incomplete and accused the media of undermining the military personnel who carried out the mission.
Speaking at a NATO summit press conference in the Netherlands, Trump dismissed the Defense Intelligence Agency’s initial finding—that the bombings of Natanz, Isfahan, and Fordo likely delayed Iran’s nuclear program by only a few months—as premature.
“You should be praising those people, not trying to discredit them just to get at me,” Trump told reporters, referring to the B-2 bomber pilots. “You’re hurting them.”
Trump insisted the strikes were a resounding success, calling Iran’s nuclear program “obliterated,” and claimed the pilots who flew the mission from Missouri were “devastated” by media coverage questioning the outcome.
Hegseth Defends Mission in Fiery Pentagon Briefing
On Thursday morning, Defense Secretary Hegseth held a press conference at the Pentagon to “defend the dignity” of the pilots. He accused reporters of spinning the story to discredit the operation and, by extension, the president.
“There are so many aspects of what our brave men and women did that are being undermined because of this press corps’ hatred,” Hegseth said. “It’s irresponsible.”
Hegseth emphasized the difficulty and danger of the 36-hour mission into Iranian airspace and scolded reporters for ignoring the risks taken by service members. “This was a flawless mission carried out with precision. These troops deserve honor, not skepticism.”
Joint Chiefs Chairman and Intel Community Weigh In
Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, echoed Hegseth’s defense, saying he had never been pressured by Trump or Hegseth and stood by the mission’s objectives.
“There’s nothing I’ve seen to suggest we didn’t hit exactly what we aimed for,” Caine said.
Trump later praised Hegseth’s appearance as “the greatest, most professional, and most confirming” press conference.
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard also weighed in, stating on X that “Iran’s nuclear facilities have been destroyed.” A source familiar with her assessment told ABC News her statement was based on new U.S. intelligence.
Gabbard accused the media of selectively leaking classified information to paint the strike as less effective and claimed the leaked report was labeled with “low confidence.”
Trump Touts Israeli Assessment
At the NATO summit, Trump cited an Israeli intelligence report he said confirmed that the Fordo facility’s “critical infrastructure” was destroyed and the enrichment plant was “totally inoperable.”
Military officials have confirmed the sites sustained “significant damage,” but emphasized that a full battle damage assessment remains ongoing. As of Wednesday, no U.S. personnel had directly inspected the sites.
Political Undertones and Pushback Against the Media
Trump and Hegseth both portrayed the criticism of the operation as politically motivated and harmful to the military.
“These pilots, these refuelers, these air defenders risked everything,” Hegseth said. “The media doesn’t care what the troops think. They only care about their anti-Trump narrative.”
Trump, speaking emotionally about the impact on the service members, claimed he was contacted by one of the pilots after media reports emerged.
“He said, ‘Sir, we hit the site. It was perfect. It was dead on.’ They don’t understand fake news,” Trump said.
While the Pentagon declined to comment on specific damage assessments, it referred questions to the White House. Officials maintained that definitive conclusions about the strike’s impact would take time.
As the administration continues to frame the attack as a decisive blow to Iran’s nuclear capabilities, Trump and his allies are making it clear they won’t accept any narrative that says otherwise.
