Live updates: Senate to receive classified briefing as Pentagon says Iran strikes went as planned

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine deflected on a question of what had changed in the US’ ability to assess the damage of its strikes on Iranian nuclear sites after the chairman just days ago said a final assessment would take time.

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth indicated that the administration’s claims that the sites were “obliterated” were based on the capability of the weapons used.

“Ultimately, we’re here to clarify what these weapons are capable of,” Hegseth said at a news conference on Thursday after opening statements doubling down on the effectiveness of the US strikes on Iran.

Caine was asked about his own comments from Sunday, when he said, “final battle damage will take some time” and that the battle damage assessment was “still pending, and it would be way too early for me to comment on what may or may not still be there.” He was also asked if he would also describe the sites as “obliterated.”

“We don’t do [battle damage assessments]. I’ll refer that to the intelligence community,” Caine said.

Pressed again, Caine offered only a few words before deferring to Hegseth. The defense secretary argued that what had changed was “a great deal of irresponsible reporting based on leaks.”

Hegseth added Caine “doesn’t do politics.”

“That’s my lane to understand and translate and talk about those types of things,” Hegseth continued. “So, I can use the word obliterated. He could use defeat, destroyed, assess, all of those things.”

Caine again deferred to the intelligence community after Hegseth’s lengthy reply.

“The IC should be able to help you answer that question. They look at a variety, as the secretary has alluded to, they look at a variety of things. I don’t do that. They do all, all different sources of intel, which I’d refer you to them to get clarity,” he said.