“If you want an assessment, grab a shovel and dig deep,” Hegseth says, crediting Trump for decisive military action
- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Iran’s nuclear facilities suffered “enormous damage” from U.S. strikes.
- He dismissed leaked reports as “lynchpin assumptions” and urged critics to “grab a shovel and dig deep.”
- Hegseth warned reporters not to rely on biased leaks and called for pride in military success.
- Gen. Dan Caine confirmed Iran had plans to strike U.S. bases and tried to conceal nuclear shafts with concrete.
- President Trump praised the Pentagon briefing as “one of the greatest… most confirming” ever held.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth forcefully defended the recent military strikes on Iran during a press conference Thursday morning, asserting that the media is “downplaying” the extent of the damage inflicted on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure.
“If you want an assessment,” Hegseth told reporters from the Pentagon podium, “grab a shovel and dig deep.” He described the operation as a “resounding success” that effectively ended the war and fulfilled what previous administrations only talked about.
Calling the mission “historically successful,” Hegseth pointed to a recent NATO commitment led by President Trump: “32 NATO countries committed to spending 5%. What President Trump achieved at NATO yesterday was groundbreaking.”
In response to recent media leaks suggesting limited damage, Hegseth criticized their reliance on what he called “lynchpin assumptions.” He referenced remarks by IAEA Director Rafael Grossi, who had acknowledged significant destruction at Iran’s nuclear sites.
Hegseth urged the media to exercise restraint and integrity in covering the early phases of such missions. “First reports are almost always wrong and incomplete,” he said. “Your job is to step back and assess them, and that is why we urge caution about putting premise stories on biased leaks and biased publications to try to make something look bad.”
General Confirms Iranian Threat, Concrete Cover-Up Attempt
Gen. Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, also spoke at the press conference, revealing that the Pentagon had received intelligence on Monday suggesting Iran intended to launch attacks on U.S. bases across the region.
“We deployed Patriot cruise systems from Korea and Japan, with support from Qatar,” Gen. Caine said. He further noted that Iranian crews attempted to conceal nuclear shafts at Fordow with concrete in the days leading up to the attack.
Trump Reacts: “One of the Greatest News Conferences”
Shortly after the press briefing, President Donald Trump posted his reaction on Truth Social, calling it:
In a separate post, Trump emphasized that Iranian workers were attempting to cover up the nuclear facility entrances rather than removing any materials.
Watch the Press Conference (Video Courtesy: Fox News)
WATCH LIVE: Hegseth holds briefing from the Pentagon after NATO Summit. https://t.co/GNskHHqaeV
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