Pete Hegseth snaps at reporter amid tense Pentagon briefing: 'No evidence!'

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth snapped at a reporter Friday for asking whether Iran has placed mines in a crucial sea shipping route, attacking the journalist over what he said was their "reckless" and “wild” reporting.

“Has Iran placed any mines since the war started?” a reporter can be heard asking Hegseth during a press briefing at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. “Is Iran placing new mines?”

“No,” Hegseth bluntly fired back. “We've heard them talk about it, just like you've reported recklessly and wildly about it, but there's – we have no clear evidence of that.”

Despite Hegseth’s claim, multiple outlets have reported that Iran has, in fact, placed mines in the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial shipping route through which a fifth of the world's oil trade passes.

President Donald Trump’s ongoing siege on Iran has sparked what one energy expert described as the “largest oil disruption ever in history,” with Iran shutting down travel through the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has enforced the closure by threatening to strike sea vessels attempting to traverse the Strait of Hormuz, striking three ships on Wednesday alone

Iran has also placed underwater mines in the Strait of Hormuz, according to The New York Times, which cited multiple U.S. officials in its reporting.

The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has reportedly sparked panic within the Trump administration, with the closure fueling a dramatic surge in oil prices not seen since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.