President Trump countered reporting that enriched uranium was removed from one of Iran’s nuclear sites before American B-2s bombed the facility and two others last weekend.
“The cars and small trucks at the site were those of concrete workers trying to cover up the top of the shafts. Nothing was taken out of facility,” Mr. Trump posted Thursday on Truth Social. “Would take too long, too dangerous, and very heavy and hard to move!”
Maxar Technologies reported movement near the Fordo entrance on Thursday and Friday.
“Unusual truck and vehicular activity” was close to the underground complex south of Tehran, Maxar said.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth lashed out Thursday at the media, saying reporters used an early intelligence assessment of the U.S. bombing of Iran’s nuclear sites to sow doubt about the mission’s effectiveness.
Operation Midnight Hammer, which Mr. Hegseth called “the most complex and secretive military operation in history,” paved the way for the current ceasefire agreement between Iran and Israel, he said during a Thursday morning press conference at the Pentagon.
“President Trump created the conditions to end the war, decimating, obliterating and destroying Iran’s nuclear capabilities,” the defense secretary said.
Mr. Hegseth, when asked about the vehicular activity, pushed back at Fox News reporter Jennifer Griffin.
“We’re watching every single aspect, but Jennifer, you’ve been about the worst, the one who misrepresents the most, intentionally, what the president says.”
When pressed further about it, he said, “I not aware of any intelligence that I’ve reviewed that says things were not where they were supposed to be moved or otherwise.”
Mr. Trump praised Mr. Hegseth and Air Force Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, for “one of the greatest, most professional and most ‘confirming’ news conferences” he had “ever seen.”
He added, “The Fake News should fire everyone involved in this Witch Hunt, and apologize to our great warriors, and everyone else!”
• Mike Glenn contributed to this article.
• Kerry Picket can be reached at kpicket@washingtontimes.com.