TRUMP: ‘I DON’T CARE IF I HAVE AN AGREEMENT OR NOT’: In President Donald Trump’s view, what he has dubbed “The 12 Day War” not only “totally obliterated” Iran’s nuclear program, it has obviated the need for any formal deal ensuring that Iran doesn’t reconstitute it facilities covertly.
At his NATO news conference Wednesday, Trump said America’s B-2 and submarine attack delivered a knockout blow comparable to the atomic bombs dropped on Japan that ended World War II. “It was so devastating,” Trump said. “If you look at Hiroshima or if you look at Nagasaki, you know, that ended a war too. This ended a war in a different way, but it was so devastating.”
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Trump said representatives for the U.S. and Iran will meet next week, but it’s not clear what, if anything, they have to discuss. “We may sign an agreement. I don’t know. To me, I don’t think it’s that necessary. I mean, they had a war. They fought, and now, they’re going back to their world. I don’t care if I have an agreement or not,” Trump said.
Trump seemed unconcerned about the prospect that, with no incentive to negotiate, Iran may end cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency, whose inspectors would provide eyes on the ground, and also withdraw from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty while slowly rebuilding its nuclear facilities.
“The only thing we’d be asking for is what we were asking for before, we want no nuclear, but we destroyed the nuclear,” Trump said “We blew it up. It’s blown up to kingdom come, and so I don’t feel very strongly about it. If we got a document, it wouldn’t be bad.”
TRUMP KNOWS BEST: Trump continued to rail against the media coverage of a leaked initial Defense Intelligence Agency assessment that suggested the U.S. bombing of the Fordow nuclear site with 30,000-pound bunker-busting bombs may have failed to collapse their underground chamber where Iran’s centrifuges were kept, and therefore may have set back Iran’s nuclear program by only a few months, the officials said.
While calling the reporting “fake news,” Trump confirmed the assessment but said news reports emphasized the negative while ignoring the higher-end estimate. “The document said, ‘It could be very severe damage, but they didn’t take that,” Trump complained, saying the initial report was premature and incomplete. “They really didn’t know, other than to say it could be limited or it could be very, very severe,” he said of the Pentagon’s intelligence analysis.
“Since then, we’ve collected additional intelligence. We’ve also spoken to people who have seen the site and the site is obliterated, and we think everything nuclear is down there. They didn’t take it out,” Trump said, citing Israeli intelligence to support his claim, while reading a statement from Israel’s Atomic Energy Commission:
“The devastating U.S. strike on Fordo destroyed the site’s critical infrastructure and rendered the enrichment facility inoperable. We assess that the American strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, combined with Israeli strikes on other elements of Iran’s military nuclear program, has set back Iran’s ability to develop nuclear weapons by many years. The achievement can continue indefinitely if Iran does not get access to nuclear material.”
ODNI AND CIA FALL IN LINE: The heads of America’s spy agencies quickly issued statements to back up Trump’s assessment, but notably, none used his language that Iran’s program had been “totally obliterated.”
“CIA can confirm that a body of credible intelligence indicates Iran’s Nuclear Program has been severely damaged by the recent, targeted strikes. This includes new intelligence from a historically reliable and accurate source/method that several key Iranian nuclear facilities were destroyed and would have to be rebuilt over the course of years,” said CIA Director John Ratcliffe.
“New intelligence confirms what @POTUS has stated numerous times: Iran’s nuclear facilities have been destroyed. If the Iranians chose to rebuild, they would have to rebuild all three facilities (Natanz, Fordow, Esfahan) entirely, which would likely take years to do,” Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard posted on X.
“The propaganda media has deployed their usual tactic: selectively release portions of illegally leaked classified intelligence assessments (intentionally leaving out the fact that the assessment was written with “low confidence”) to try to undermine President Trump’s decisive leadership and the brave servicemen and women who flawlessly executed a truly historic mission to keep the American people safe and secure.”
GABBARD SAYS NEW INTELLIGENCE ‘CONFIRMS’ IRANIAN NUCLEAR FACILITIES DESTROYED
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HAPPENING TODAY: A COMMAND PERFORMANCE: So far, the only time Pete Hegseth appears in the Pentagon briefing room is when his boss orders him to. Yesterday, President Trump ordered his defense secretary and joint chiefs chairman to show up at 8 a.m. this morning to deliver a lecture to reporters about how bad they have been.
While none of the media reports even remotely suggested the B-2 pilots did anything other than flawlessly execute their historic mission, Trump has portrayed the warriors as sensitive snowflakes whose feelings were hurt by the suggestion the bombing may not have destroyed the underground facility.
“I spoke to one of them. Said, ‘Sir, we hit the site. It was perfect, it was dead-on,’ because they don’t understand fake news,” Trump said. “And they were devastated. They put their lives on the line, and then they have … real scum, real scum come out and write reports that are as negative as they could possibly be.”
The DIA report said its assessment was given with “low confidence” for a very obvious reason, as Hegeth pointed out, even as he attacked the press coverage. “Why is there low confidence? Because all of the evidence of what was just bombed by 12 30,000-pound bombs is buried under a mountain, devastated and obliterated.”
Hegseth is following Trump’s lead, portraying legitimate questions about the effectiveness of the strike as an attack on the brave B-2 pilots, who Trump says “flew into the hornet’s nest, and then they got hurt so badly by what the fake news wrote.”
Trump singled out CNN and the New York Times, calling them both “disgusting, really horrible groups of people,” and claimed he was the real target. “The fake news, in order to try and hit me, the fake news made them look bad.”
“The instinct of CNN, the instinct of the New York Times is to try to find a way to spin it for their own political reasons to try to hurt President Trump or our country,” Hegseth said. “They don’t care what the troops think. They don’t care what the world thinks. They want to spin it to try to make him look bad based on a leak.”
Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine’s news conference can be viewing the on the Pentagon website at https://www.defense.gov/News/Live-Events. “The News Conference will prove both interesting and irrefutable. Enjoy!” Trump promised on Truth Social.
HEGSETH TO DEFEND ‘VERY UPSET’ B-2 PILOTS’ ‘DIGNITY’ IN PRESS CONFERENCE AFTER LEAK, TRUMP SAYS
OFF WITH HER HEAD: While the leaked DIA assessment was widely reported by almost all major news organizations, including this one, Trump took particular umbrage with the reporter who broke the story, CNN’s Natasha Bertrand.
“Natasha Bertrand should be FIRED from CNN!” Trump railed on Truth Social. “I watched her for three days doing Fake News. She should be IMMEDIATELY reprimanded, and then thrown out ‘like a dog.’”
“She lied on the Nuclear Sites Story, attempting to destroy our Patriot Pilots by making them look bad when, in fact, they did a GREAT job and hit ‘pay dirt’ — TOTAL OBLITERATION! She should not be allowed to work at Fake News CNN. It’s people like her who destroyed the reputation of a once great Network. Her slant was so obviously negative, besides, she doesn’t have what it takes to be an on camera correspondent, not even close. FIRE NATASHA!”
In a statement posted on X, CNN said, “We stand 100% behind Natasha Bertrand’s journalism and specifically her and her colleagues’ reporting of the early intelligence assessment of the U.S. attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities.”
“CNN’s reporting made clear this was an initial finding that could change with additional intelligence. We have extensively covered President Trump’s own deep skepticism about it,” the statement said, adding, “We do not believe it is reasonable to criticize CNN reporters for accurately reporting the existence of the assessment and accurately characterizing its findings, which are in the public interest.”
PETE HEGSETH ANNOUNCES INTELLIGENCE LEAK INVESTIGATION AS PENTAGON HIT WITH MORE CONTROVERSY
IN OTHER NEWS: Here are some other things Trump said at his various appearances at NATO headquarters Wednesday:
On meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky: “I wanted to know how he’s doing. It was very nice, actually. Yeah, we had a little rough times, sometimes. He couldn’t have been nicer. I think he’d like to see an end to this. I do. … I took from the meeting that he’d like to see it end. I think it’s a great time to end it. I’m going to speak to Vladimir Putin, see if we can get it ended.”
On speaking with Putin: “I know one thing: He’d like to settle. He’d like to get out of this thing. It’s a mess for him. He called the other day. He said, ‘Can I help you with Iran?’ I said, ‘No, you can help me with Russia’ … I consider him a person that’s, I think, been misguided. I’m very surprised, actually. I thought we would have that settled easy.”
On why he didn’t end the Ukraine war in 24 hours: “Because it’s more difficult than people would have any idea. Vladimir Putin has been more difficult,” adding on his campaign pledge, “Of course it was sarcastic.”
On Spain being the only NATO member not to commit to spending 5% on defense: “I think Spain’s terrible, what they’ve done. No, I do. They’re the only country that won’t pay the full up. “They want to stay at 2%. … I don’t know what the problem is. I think it’s too bad. So we’ll make it up. You know what we’re going to do? We’re negotiating with Spain on a trade deal. We’re going to make them pay twice as much, and I’m actually serious about that.”
On his newfound love for NATO: “I came here because it was something I’m supposed to be doing. But I left here a little bit different … I watched the heads of these countries get up, and the love and the passion that they showed for their country was unbelievable. I’ve never seen quite anything like it. They want to protect their country, and they need the United States, and without the United States, it’s not going to be the same … And I left here differently. I left here saying, ‘These people really love their countries. It’s not a rip-off. And we are here to help them protect their country.’”
On buying icebreakers from Finland: “I want to buy icebreakers. You know, you’re very good at icebreakers, and I actually made him an offer … But there’s an old — it’s not old. It’s fairly new, but it’s used — icebreaker, and I offered him about one-third of what he asked for. But we’re negotiating. We need icebreakers in the U.S., and if we can get some inexpensively, I’d like to do that, actually … And so we’re negotiating with them for about 15 different icebreakers, but one of them is available now. It’s old … it’s, like, five, six years old. And we’re trying to buy it. I’m trying to make a good deal. It’s all I do. My whole life — my whole life, that’s all I do, is make deals.”
TRUMP AND MARK RUTTE SHARE AWKWARD MOMENT AT SUMMIT AS NATO CHIEF CALLS HIM ‘DADDY’
THE RUNDOWN:
Washington Examiner: Gabbard says new intelligence ‘confirms’ Iranian nuclear facilities destroyed
Washington Examiner: Pete Hegseth announces intelligence leak investigation as Pentagon hit with more controversy
Washington Examiner: Hegseth to defend ‘very upset’ B-2 pilots’ ‘dignity’ in press conference after leak, Trump says
Washington Examiner: Trump threatens trade war with ‘terrible’ Spain over refusal to up NATO defense spending
Washington Examiner: Trump claims ending Ukraine war more difficult than thought at NATO summit
Washington Examiner: Iran intends to restart nuclear program, nuclear official vows
Washington Examiner: Trump and Mark Rutte share awkward moment at summit as NATO chief calls him ‘daddy’
Washington Examiner: ICE says it arrested 11 Iranian illegal immigrants as Trump warns of sleeper cells in US
Washington Examiner: Michael McCaul says he declined Homeland Security chairmanship
Washington Examiner: Trump’s pick to lead troops in Europe says Ukraine can win war
Washington Examiner: House to vote on MTG bill to publish data on ‘special interest’ illegal immigrants arrests at border
Washington Examiner: Trump limits sharing classified information with Congress after Iran bombing document leak
Washington Examiner: Trump demands immediate end to ‘great war time’ PM Netanyahu’s corruption trial
Washington Examiner: Kari Lake defends plan to dismantle US global media agency: ‘It’s rotten to the core’
Washington Examiner: Original DOGE staffer ‘Big Balls’ leaves the federal government
Washington Examiner: Opinion: With objection to Iran bombing, hypocrisy of Democrats and media is on full display
AP: Trump officials to give first classified briefing to Congress on Iran strikes
AP: Trump’s latest rejection of intelligence assessments reflects a long distrust of spy agencies
Defense One: NATO Isn’t a ‘Rip-Off’: Trump Says He’s Leaving Europe Feeling ‘Different’
Washington Post: How Trump Pivoted From Bombing Iran to Announcing a Ceasefire
Military.com: Female Troops Played Key Roles in B-2, Submarine Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Facilities
Air & Space Forces Magazine: 15 Tons of Bombs and 1 Tiny Toilet: Around the World on the B-2 Spirit
CBS News: One U.S. Report Assessed Iran Was 3 to 8 Months From Nuclear Weapon—But No Sign It Planned To, Intel Sources Say
War on the Rocks: Why Recent Surprise Attacks Against Russia and Iran Should Worry Taiwan
Breaking Defense: Boeing Hires Former Northrop Exec to Lead Air Force One Program
Air & Space Forces Magazine: Cyber, Electronic Warfare Key to Winning Future Fights, DARPA Official Says
Air & Space Forces Magazine: Why DARPA Thinks Stealth Is Obsolete in Future Wars
SpaceNews: Maxar Launches Intelligence Service Focused on ‘Persistent Monitoring’
Air & Space Forces Magazine: NATO Allies Agree to Spend 5 Percent on Defense
Air & Space Forces Magazine: Army Blocks Air Force’s AI Program Over Data Security Concerns
THE CALENDAR:
THURSDAY | JUNE 26
9 a.m. 1250 S Hayes St., Arlinton, Virginia — Defense One Annual Tech Summit, with Derek Tournear, director, Space Development Agency; Leslie Beavers, principal deputy defense CIO; and Maj. Gen. Mark Piper, deputy director of operations, U.S. Northern Command https://events.defenseone.com/tech-summit-2025
9 a.m. — Center for Strategic and International Studies virtual discussion: “The Future of NATO Defense, Resilience, and Allied Innovation,” with Kari A. Bingen, Director of the CSIS Aerospace Security Project and Senior Fellow in the Defense and Security Department, will be joined by Kristine Berzina, Managing Director, Geostrategy North, German Marshall Fund; Ryan Evans, CEO and Founder, War on the Rocks and Bedrock Knowledge; and Zach Beecher, Partner, Scout Ventures. https://www.csis.org/events/future-nato-defense-resilience-and-allied-innovation
9:30 a.m. G-50 Dirksen — Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on the nominations of Hung Cao to be undersecretary of the Navy; Michael Dodd to be assistant Defense secretary for critical technologies; Jules Hurst to be assistant secretary of the Army for manpower and reserve affairs; Brent Ingraham to be assistant secretary of the Army for acquisition, logistics, and technology; and William Gillis to be assistant secretary of the Army for installations, energy and environment http://www.armed-services.senate.gov
10 a.m. 1211 Connecticut Ave. NW — Henry L. Stimson Center discussion: “The Realities of an Invasion of Taiwan,” with Dan Grazier, senior fellow and director, Stimson Center National Security Reform Program; MacKenna Rawlins, research associate, Stimson Center Strategy and Planning Project; and James Siebens, fellow for cyber and reimaging grand strategy, Stimson Center Russia and Strategic Foresight Hub https://www.stimson.org/event/the-realities-of-an-invasion-of-taiwan/
10:30 a.m. 192 Dirksen — Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee hearing: “A Review of the President’s FY2026 Budget Request for the Air Force and Space Force,” with testimony from Air Force Secretary Troy E. Meink; Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David W. Allvin; and Space Force Chief of Space Operations Gen. B. Chance Saltzman http://appropriations.senate.gov
11 a.m. Emancipation Hall, U.S. Capitol — U.S. Congress event to present a Congressional Gold Medal in honor of the Army Rangers Veterans of World War II, with remarks from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth; VA Secretary Doug Collins; Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD); Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-NY); House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA); House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY); Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA); Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL); Rep. Jason Crow (D-CO); Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA); Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine; Air Force Gen. Steven Nordhaus, chief of the National Guard Bureau; David Fitzgerald, senior official performing the duties of the undersecretary of the Army; Army Col. Rustin Necessary, former commander of 1st Ranger Battalion; retired Army Sgt. Joseph Drake, WWII Army ranger; retired Pfc. John Wardell, WWII Army ranger; David Williams, president of Descendants of WWII Rangers; and Ron Hudnell, son of the late Pfc. James Hudnell, WWII Army ranger and member and board member of Descendants of WWII Rangers
11 a.m. 222 Russell — The Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe hearing: “The Cost of a Bad Deal in Ukraine,” with testimony from Michael Cecire, policy researcher on defense and security at the RAND Corporation; Nerses Kopalyan, assistant professor at the University of Nevada; and Hanna Liubakova, Atlantic Council nonresident senior fellow https://www.youtube.com/live/gunwbqGR0DE
12:30 p.m. — Carnegie Endowment for International Peace virtual discussion: “Does the West Still Exist? Reflections on the NATO and G7 Summits,” with Kori Schake, director of foreign and defense policy studies, American Enterprise Institute; Steward Patrick, director, CEIP Global Order and Institutions Program; Rosa Balfour, director of Carnegie Europe; and Sophia Besch, senior fellow, CEIP Europe Program https://carnegieendowment.org/events/2025/06/does-the-west-still-exist
5 p.m. 1779 Massachusetts Ave. NW — Carnegie Endowment for International Peace book discussion: The Illegals: Russia’s Most Audacious Spies and Their Century-Long Mission to Infiltrate the West, with author Shaun Walker, international correspondent, The Guardian; and David Hoffman, contributing editor, Washington Post https://carnegieendowment.org/events/2025/06/shaun-walker-book-launch-the-illegals
5:30 p.m. 701 Pennsylvania Ave. NW — Axios discussion: “AI-Driven Defense: Protecting Society From Rising Fraud and Cyber Crime,” with Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA); former Rep. Will Hurd (R-TX), CTO of CHAOS; and Michael Jabbara, senior vice president of payment ecosystem risk and control at Visa https://axiosai-drivendefense.splashthat.com/
FRIDAY | JUNE 27
8 a.m. 300 First St. SE — National Institute for Deterrence Studies seminar: “Growing Concerns of Missile Threats in the Middle East,” with Uzi Rubin, founder and former director, Israel Missile Defense Organization https://thinkdeterrence.com/events/growing-concerns-of-missile-threats-in-the-middle-east/
11 a.m. 1616 Rhode Island Ave. NW — Center for Strategic and International Studies discussion: “the role of landpower in the Indo-Pacific,” with U.S. Army Pacific Commanding Gen. Ronald Clark; Robert Brown, president of the Association of the U.S. Army and former commanding general of the U.S. Army Pacific; and Tom Karako, director, CSIS Missile Defense Project and senior fellow, CSIS Defense and Security Department https://www.csis.org/events/strategic-landpower-dialogue