After Month of War, Hegseth Says Iran Retains Ability to Strike

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth conceded on Tuesday that Iran retained the ability to retaliate after a monthlong U.S.-Israeli bombing campaign but repeated claims that Iran's military capabilities had been crippled, in his first public briefing on the war in nearly two weeks.

"They will shoot some missiles; we will shoot them down," Mr. Hegseth told reporters at the Pentagon alongside Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. They last took questions from reporters on the state of the war on March 19.

Mr. Hegseth said that he had paid an unannounced visit to the Middle East over the weekend to visit troops at bases around the region.