Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth sharply criticized CNN on Friday morning over its reporting on the ongoing war with Iran, accusing the network of pushing what he described as misleading narratives about the conflict and the administration’s handling of threats in the Strait of Hormuz.
Speaking during a Pentagon press briefing, Hegseth took aim at a CNN report suggesting the Trump administration underestimated the potential impact of the war on shipping through the strategic waterway. The defense secretary dismissed the claim outright, arguing that Iran’s threats to disrupt traffic in the strait have been well known for years.
“Fake news from CNN reports that the Trump administration underestimated the Iran war’s impact on the Strait of Hormuz,” Hegseth said. “Patently ridiculous, of course. For decades, Iran has threatened shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. This is always what they do, hold the strait hostage.”
The Strait of Hormuz is a key shipping route through which much of the world’s oil supply moves, making tensions there a longstanding concern for global markets and international security. Hegseth suggested it was implausible that U.S. officials would overlook such an obvious factor in assessing the conflict.
“CNN doesn’t think we thought of that,” he told reporters. “It’s a fundamentally unserious report.”
Hegseth also took the opportunity to weigh in on the future of CNN’s ownership, referencing a recently announced deal involving Paramount CEO David Ellison.
“The sooner David Ellison takes over that network, the better,” Hegseth said.
Ellison’s company reached an agreement earlier this month to acquire CNN’s parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery. The $111 billion acquisition by Paramount Skydance followed a bidding war with Netflix, though the deal still requires regulatory approval before it can move forward.
CNN, however, pushed back against Hegseth’s criticism. A spokesperson for the network said on Friday that the outlet stands firmly behind its reporting.
Ellison has also addressed concerns about the potential impact of the acquisition on CNN’s editorial direction. During a recent interview on CNBC, he insisted that the network’s independence would remain intact even if the merger is finalized.
“Editorial independence will absolutely be maintained,” Ellison said. “It’s maintained at CBS. It’ll be maintained at CNN.”
Still, the proposed deal has sparked debate in media and political circles. Ellison has faced criticism from some Democrats and media watchdogs over decisions at CBS News, including the appointment of a former conservative think tank leader as the network’s ombudsman.
At the same time, Ellison has pledged to adjust CNN’s editorial strategy to appeal to a broader and more politically diverse audience. Some critics have interpreted that commitment as a signal the network could shift rightward.
Hegseth’s comments Friday fit into a broader pattern of the defense secretary’s frequent clashes with major news outlets over their portrayal of the Pentagon and the U.S. military.
During the briefing, he argued that media coverage often frames events in ways that undermine public confidence in the armed forces.
“People look up at the TV and they see banners. They see headlines,” Hegseth said. “I used to be in that business, and I know that everything is written intentionally.”
He pointed to typical on-screen headlines describing the situation as a “Mideast war intensifies,” suggesting such language shapes how the public perceives the conflict.
“What should the banner read instead?” Hegseth asked reporters. “How about Iran increasingly desperate? Because they are. They know it.”
The remarks highlighted not only the administration’s ongoing frustration with the press but also the broader tension surrounding coverage of a war that continues to carry significant global consequences and has gone on far longer than originally expected.
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