U.S. Military Chief Counters Hegseth’s Claim Of "Massive Success" In Iran Strike

The United States carried out a surprise nighttime strike using decoys and deception that completely “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear ambitions, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth declared, according to The Daily Beast.

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine said that full battle damage assessment would take time. I Photo: U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Alexander Kubitza, U.S. Secretary of Defense Flickr

But Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine contradicted that assessment, telling reporters that while early reports indicated “severe damage and destruction,” a full battle damage assessment would take time.

In his briefing over the weekend, Hegseth reiterated President Trump’s warning that any retaliation would be met with “further force,” adding, “American deterrence is back. When this president speaks, the world should listen.”

The statement followed Trump’s televised address from the White House on Saturday night—two days into the “within two weeks” timeline he had set for making the strike decision.

The operation—conducted without congressional authorization—has sparked impeachment calls from Democrats and warnings of widespread Iranian retaliation against U.S. military assets and personnel across the region.

“Trump’s actions may be seen as a tactical success, but they will make future diplomacy with adversaries more difficult. In the case of Iran, it will likely only incentivize nuclear development,” said Adam Weinstein, deputy director of the Middle East Program at the Quincy Institute.

Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez called the unauthorized strike “absolutely and clearly grounds for impeachment.”

Senator Chris Murphy added that he had been briefed on the intelligence last week. “Iran posed no imminent threat of attack to the United States,” he said, describing the strike as “illegal.”