American War Secretary Pete Hegseth has been systematically misrepresenting the disastrous progress of the US-Israeli war of aggression against the Islamic Republic of Iran to President Donald Trump, consistently painting the war in “rosy terms” to keep the commander-in-chief satisfied amid a grinding stalemate, according to a new report.

The Atlantic, citing outside advisers close to Trump, stated that Hegseth is widely disliked inside the White House and has not been fully transparent about a campaign that has failed to achieve its stated objectives months after its launch.

“Hegseth is good at telling the president what he wants to hear,” one adviser told the publication.

Trump has begun privately polling allies on the performance of both Hegseth and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Dan Caine, the same behavior he typically displays before making personnel changes. Both officials were among the most publicly optimistic voices at the outset of the illegal aggression but have avoided press conferences since May.

Advisers had assured Trump the war would end well before the midterm elections; instead, he is now searching for a scapegoat as the war continues.

The Pentagon issued a predictable denial. Spokesman Sean Parnell claimed the reporting was false and insisted Hegseth provides the “full operational picture,” calling contrary suggestions “dead wrong.”

Iranian officials have consistently rejected such claims as propaganda, noting that the Islamic Republic’s defensive capabilities, including missile and drone forces, remain intact and have repeatedly struck US bases and assets across the region.

Failed promises and rising costs of aggression

The so-called Operation Epic Fury, launched jointly with the Zionist regime on February 28, was sold as a short, decisive campaign to neutralize Iran’s nuclear program and military strength. Nearly nine months later, the war remains unresolved.

At least 23 US service members have been killed and thousands wounded, while Iranian retaliatory strikes have damaged multiple American and allied facilities.

Effective Iranian interdiction efforts around the Strait of Hormuz have driven up energy prices for American consumers already facing a cost-of-living crisis.

White House staff have reportedly feared that a poor showing for Republicans in the midterm elections could trigger a presidential “rampage,” with Hegseth among those potentially scapegoated.

Democrats are already discussing impeachment proceedings against the war secretary should they gain control of Congress. Hegseth has reportedly explored political exit options, including interest in a Senate seat in Tennessee.

The recent departure of Army Lt. Gen. Brett Sylvia, the Pentagon’s top military planner, has further highlighted the chaos under Hegseth, who has forced out numerous senior officers while prioritizing internal culture-war priorities over coherent strategy.

Trump himself snapped at a reporter questioning whether he intended to resume hostilities after the midterms, dismissing the inquiry as a “stupid question.”

Iran’s resilience

Iranian security forces spokesmen have repeatedly described the US position in West Asia as collapsed, citing the destruction or damage to multiple American bases and the inability of Washington to protect its forces or achieve its political goals.

Tehran has maintained that any renewed aggression will be met with decisive retaliation, with no geographical limits, and that the Islamic Republic will not return to the pre-war status quo regarding regional security arrangements.

The Atlantic’s report underscores what Iranian officials have argued from the beginning. The US-Israeli aggression was launched on flawed assumptions, exaggerated assessments of Iranian weakness, and a desire by certain officials to tell their president what he wanted to hear rather than the operational reality.

As the war continues without a clear American path to the “victory” Trump has repeatedly claimed, pressure on Hegseth and the broader war effort is only intensifying.