Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has used a Pentagon press conference to criticise journalists over their coverage of the war in Iran, at one point proposing alternative television headlines. He claimed Iran had been left without a functioning air force, navy or missile defence network after 13 days of strikes, and said the combined US-Israeli air campaign had hit more than 15,000 targets since the war began.
“What should the banner [on TV] read?” Hegseth said. “How about ‘Iran increasingly desperate’?” The remarks come amid reports of growing anger among White House staff over the conduct of the war, with some officials expressing frustration at the administration's handling of the conflict.
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump has warned that Iran could be hit hard in the coming days, as he described the leaders of the Iranian regime as “deranged scumbags”. The comments were made during a briefing at the White House, where Trump reiterated his commitment to a decisive military campaign against Iran.
