Pete Hegseth launches furious tirade against 'irresponsible' US media for Iran strikes coverage
Speaking publicly, he criticised outlets including The Washington Post, Fox News, CNN and MSNBC for coverage based on leaked intelligence
Pete Hegseth has launched a scathing attack on media organisations for what he called "irresponsible reporting" about a recent strike on Iran.
Speaking publicly, he criticised outlets including The Washington Post, Fox News, CNN and MSNBC for coverage based on leaked intelligence.
"There was a great deal of irresponsible reporting based on leaks, preliminary information, and low-confidence intel," Hegseth said.
He argued that selective leaks of intelligence assessments were being used to create a narrative questioning the strike's effectiveness.
The defence official suggested that those leaking partial intelligence reports were doing so "with an agenda" to spark a news cycle that cast doubt on the operation's success.
Hegseth drew a clear distinction between military assessment and political commentary, explaining that whilst a military chairman might use terms like "defeated" or "destroyed", he could employ stronger language such as "obliterated" when discussing the strike's impact.
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