Secretary of War Pete Hegseth criticized what he called “fake news” coverage of President Donald Trump‘s strikes on Iran during a Tuesday press conference, adding that the U.S. is “laser-focused” on its mission of severing Iran’s “pathway to nuclear weapons.”

Hegesth told reporters that the military operation in Iran is “simply a reality check,” and with the “combination of U.S. and Israeli intelligence and combat power, will control Iran and will control it soon.”

“Sure, Iran will still be able to shoot some missiles and still be able to launch one-way attack drones at civilian targets and their proxies will attempt to attack our embassies, bases and soft targets. They are terrorists, after all, and they need to target civilians because they can’t fight toe-to-toe. But we will find them and kill them,” the war secretary asserted.

War Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks during a press conference on U.S. military action in Iran at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., on Mar. 2, 2026. (Brendan Smialowski/AFP/ via Getty Images)

“This is what the fake news misses. We’ve taken control of Iran’s airspace and water without boots on the ground. We control their fate. But when a few drones get through or tragic things happen, it’s front-page news,” he continued. “I get it, the press only wants to make the president look bad, but try for once to report the reality. The terms of this war will be set by us at every step.”

Six American military service members have been killed amid Iran’s retaliation over U.S. and Israeli attacks over the weekend.

Hegseth reiterated his past remarks about the administration’s goals for its military operation in the region.

“As I said Monday, the mission is laser-focused. Obliterate Iran’s missiles and drones and facilities that produce them, annihilate its navy and critical security infrastructure, and sever their pathway to nuclear weapons,” he declared. “Iran will never possess a nuclear bomb. Not on our watch. Not ever.”

HEGSETH SAYS THE LEADER BEHIND EFFORT TO ASSASSINATE TRUMP HAS BEEN ‘HUNTED DOWN AND KILLED’ IN IRAN

Referencing the past “endless” negotiations with Iran concerning its nuclear program, the war secretary lauded Trump’s decisive action and “moral clarity” in addressing the issue.

President Donald Trump holds up a fist after disembarking Air Force One at Palm Beach International Airport in West Palm Beach, Fla., Friday, Feb. 27, 2026.  (Matt Rourke/AP Photo)

“This is why President Trump’s moral clarity on Iran today is so vital. Unlike the past where vague red lines and endless negotiations let Iran fund terror and inch ever so slightly toward a bomb, this president sees the threat plainly and acts decisively,” he said. “No more half measures, especially when Iran is at its weakest. No more letting Tehran play for time while our people pay the price.”

“[Trump’s] leadership ensures that we finish what we [started], and that we protect our war fighters by crushing the enemy before they can strike again,” Hegseth added.

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During a press conference on Monday, the war secretary echoed a similar message about the media’s coverage of the administration’s strikes against Iran, asserting that the conflict would not escalate into an “endless” war.

“To the media outlets and political left screaming ‘endless wars,’ stop. This is not Iraq. This is not endless,” Hegseth declared. “Our generation knows better and so does this president.”

U.S. forces have struck more than 1,700 targets across Iran in the first 72 hours of Operation Epic Fury, according to a U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) fact sheet — a sweeping military campaign aimed at dismantling the Iranian regime’s security apparatus and neutralizing what officials describe as imminent threats.

An F/A-18F Super Hornet, attached to Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 41, makes an arrested landing on the flight deck of Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) in support of Operation Epic Fury, on February 28, 2026 at Sea. (U.S. Navy via Getty Images)

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The Israeli military’s latest wave of airstrikes in Iran dealt a serious blow to the country’s brutal internal security apparatus, opening the door for a potential uprising.

During the strikes, Israel “dropped dozens of munitions on the Basij and internal security command centers that are subject to the Iranian terror regime,” the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement on Wednesday. “The targeted command centers were used by the Iranian regime to maintain control throughout Iran and maintain the regime’s situational assessments.”

Fox News’ Morgan Phillips and Rachel Wolf contributed to this report.

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