Overview
- At a Pentagon press briefing Tuesday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said President Trump "hasn't capitulated on anything."
- Newsmax reporter James Rosen asked when Trump dropped his call for Iran's "UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER," quoting the president's early‑war statements.
- Hegseth said the United States "holds the cards" and pointed to Project Freedom as proof of strength, a view some analysts challenged in coverage.
- He refused Rosen a follow‑up and moved on, saying "Everyone else follows directives."
- Project Freedom is a new U.S. naval push to force commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway that carries about 20% of global oil trade.