Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair Gen. Dan Caine held a news conference from the Pentagon amid a two-week ceasefire with Iran. They were joined by Adm. Brad Cooper of U.S. Central Command, who detailed his recent trip to the Middle East and his interactions with U.S. troops and commanders in the region. Gen. Caine also talked about the United States' ongoing blockade of Iran's ports. Secretary Hegseth warned Iran that the U.S. had stronger capabilities and would quickly strike if the country's leadership did not agree to a peace deal. He also criticized media coverage of the U.S.-Israel war with Iran, comparing mainstream media reporters to the Pharisees from the Bible and saying they were overly critical of the Trump administration's policies.