A US media personality has gone viral after she made bold claims about US military power during a press conference about tensions with Iran.Riley Podleski, an American journalist and conservative media personality, said this week that the United States had used “less than 10%” of its combat power in its operations against Iran.
Her remarks came in an official video update published by the Ministry of War.Speaking as Assistant Pentagon Press Secretary in the War Department’s Weekly Setrip video, Podleski said: “The new Iranian regime realized that the deal was far better than the fate that awaited it. Our fighters made history with their overwhelming victory on the battlefield.” Her statements came after the announcement of a two-week ceasefire between the United States and Iran.
At a previous Pentagon press conference last week, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth also emphasized the scale of US military capacity, claiming that the forces had dismantled one of the world’s largest militaries while using only a fraction of its power. “The world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism has proven itself utterly incapable of defending itself, its people, or its territory. We have liberated only a small portion of our power, and Iran has suffered a devastating military defeat,” he said.
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Trump vs. Reporter gets ugly when he declares Iran ‘defeated’
Podleski went further, crediting US President Donald Trump with taking unprecedented action. “We own their skies, we destroyed their navy, we destroyed their missile program and we made their defense industrial base useless,” she said, adding that Trump “made history and did what no other president had the courage to do before.”She also detailed a dramatic rescue mission over the Easter weekend. According to Podelsky, an F-15 Strike Eagle was shot down over Iran on April 3.
Within 48 hours, US forces launched two rescue missions involving more than 170 aircraft. She described the moment a crew member signaled for help, saying his first message was: “God is good.” She added: “He was shot down on Good Friday. He hid in a cave all day on Saturday and was rescued on Sunday. He was flown out of Iran at sunrise on Easter.”
“In addition to her role in confronting the government, Podleski is known for her work with conservative digital outlets. She has built a following through field reporting and social media content, often covering protests, immigration debates, and campus politics. Its reporting typically includes right-leaning viewpoints.