Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth lashed out at the press and “ungrateful allies in Europe” on Thursday while declaring that the U.S.-Israeli war in Iran has been an overwhelming success.
Speaking to reporters at the Pentagon on the 19th day of the fighting, Mr. Hegseth said the media all too often wants to paint Operation Epic Fury as a quagmire sucking the U.S. into an endless war.
“Nothing could be further from the truth. Epic Fury is different. It’s laser-focused. It’s decisive. Our objectives given directly from our America First president remain exactly what they were on day 1,” he said. “A dishonest and anti-Trump press will stop at nothing … to downplay progress, amplify every cost and call into question every step.”
He said “Trump derangement syndrome” is in the very DNA of the press corps.
“They want President Trump to fail,” Mr. Hegseth said. “Our objectives are unchanged, on target and on plan: destroy missile launchers and Iran’s defense industrial base so they cannot rebuild, destroy their navy, and [ensure] Iran never gets a nuclear weapon.”
America’s NATO allies have rebuffed requests from the White House to join the mission to open the critical Strait of Hormuz to ship traffic.
“A regime like [Iran] refusing to abandon its nuclear ambitions is not just a regional problem; it’s a direct threat to America, to freedom, to civilization [and] the world,” Mr. Hegseth said. “Our ungrateful allies in Europe, and segments of our own press, should be saying one thing to President Trump: Thank you.”
