WASHINGTON: US defence secretary Pete Hegseth insisted on Thursday (Jun 26) that American strikes on Iranian nuclear websites have been a hit, backing President Donald Trump and berating the media for questioning the outcomes of the operation.
American B-2 bombers hit two Iranian nuclear websites with large GBU-57 bunker-buster bombs final weekend, whereas a guided missile submarine struck a 3rd website with Tomahawk cruise missiles.
“President Trump created the situations to finish the conflict, decimating – select your phrase – obliterating, destroying Iran’s nuclear capabilities,” Hegseth informed journalists on the Pentagon, referring to a 12-day battle between Israel and Iran.
Trump has referred to as the strikes a “spectacular navy success” and repeatedly stated they “obliterated” the nuclear websites.
On Thursday, he insisted that Iran didn’t handle to maneuver nuclear supplies – together with enriched uranium – forward of the US navy motion.
“Nothing was taken out of facility. Would take too lengthy, too harmful, and really heavy and arduous to maneuver!” Trump stated in a publish on his Fact Social platform.
This was echoed by Hegseth. “I am not conscious of any intelligence that I’ve reviewed that claims issues weren’t the place they have been purported to be, moved or in any other case,” he stated.
Nonetheless, US media revealed a preliminary American intelligence evaluation earlier this week that stated the strikes solely set again Iran’s nuclear program by months – protection sharply criticised by Hegseth.
“Whether or not it is faux information CNN, MSNBC or the New York Instances, there’s been fawning protection of a preliminary evaluation.”
The doc was “leaked as a result of somebody had an agenda to attempt to muddy the waters and make it seem like this historic strike wasn’t profitable”, Hegseth stated.
Trump has additionally lashed out at protection of the intelligence report, calling for journalists to lose their jobs.
