At the NATO Summit on Wednesday, U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth confirmed a criminal investigation is underway following a leak of top secret intelligence related to recent U.S. airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. The probe, being conducted jointly with the FBI, aims to identify the source of a leak that has fueled media reports downplaying the effectiveness of the strikes.
“When you actually look at the report — by the way, it was a top secret report — it was preliminary, it was low confidence,” Hegseth told Townhall. “You make assessments based on what you know. We're doing a leak investigation with the FBI right now because this information is for internal purposes, battle damage assessments.”
NEWS: At NATO, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth says a criminal leak investigation is underway after top secret intelligence was released to undermine the U.S. strike on Iran’s nuclear program
Secretary Rubio adds: These are professional “stabbers” manipulating intelligence… pic.twitter.com/j71rWQXlzW
— Katie Pavlich (@KatiePavlich) June 25, 2025
The investigation comes in response to classified information shared with CNN, which reported that the strikes set Iran’s nuclear program back by only a matter of weeks. Hegseth dismissed that claim, arguing that the media narrative is being distorted by individuals with political motives.
“CNN and others are trying to spin it to make the President look bad when it was an overwhelming success,” he said.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio also weighed in, sharply criticizing those responsible for the leak and the way the information has been presented publicly. “This is what a leaker is telling you the intelligence says,” Rubio stated. “They read it and they go out and characterize it the way they want it characterized. They’re leakers — this is the game they play.”
Rubio at NATO pushing back on reports re: Iran’s ☢️ sites: “These leakers are professional stabbers. That's what they are. They go out and they read this stuff and they tell you what it says, against the law, but they characterize it for you in a way that is absolutely false." pic.twitter.com/bDJdF2BkSC
— Katie Pavlich (@KatiePavlich) June 25, 2025
Rubio defended the effectiveness of the strike, stating, “We dropped twelve of the strongest bombs on the planet right down the hole in two places. Everything underneath that mountain is in bad shape.” He pointed to comments from Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), who acknowledged visible degradation in Iran’s nuclear capabilities post-strike.
“These leakers are professional stabbers,” Rubio added. “There’s no way Iran comes to the table if somehow nothing happened. This was complete and total obliteration.”
At the start of the NATO meeting, Secretary General Mark Rutte offered public praise for President Donald Trump’s handling of the Iran situation, calling the strikes a demonstration of both strength and diplomacy. “You were a man of strength, and you're also a man of peace,” Rutte said. “The fact that you are now also successful in getting the ceasefire done between Israel and Iran — I really want to commend that. I think this is important for the whole world.”