Washington – Arab Canada News

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth accused media and political entities of trying to downplay the significance of the U.S. military strike against Iran by leaking an intelligence report that he said "lacks accuracy and aims to confuse the achievements of President Donald Trump."

In a press conference held today, Hegseth emphasized that "President Trump is the one who has created, through decisive military action, the conditions that paved the way for stopping the war and opened the door for a return to the diplomatic path," noting that the intelligence reports circulated by some media "rely on undocumented assumptions and ignore the field achievements on the ground."

The Secretary added that the strikes carried out by U.S. forces deep inside Iran, according to information from the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), led to "delaying the Iranian nuclear program for years and neutralizing key strategic capabilities of Tehran."

Hegseth also considered that Trump's success in pressuring NATO partner countries to increase their defense spending "is something successive U.S. administrations have failed to achieve," stressing that "the current moment represents a real opportunity for achieving peace in the region."

These statements come in the wake of a declared ceasefire between Israel and Iran, coinciding with diplomatic efforts led by the White House and supported by Western allies to contain the escalation.