WASHINGTON, March 13 (Reuters) - Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth on Friday said he was eager to see Trump ally and Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison take over CNN, as he criticized the U.S. news media's coverage of the Iran war.

"The sooner David Ellison takes over that network, the better," said Hegseth, a former Fox News show host and combat veteran, referring to Paramount's $110 billion deal to acquire CNN-parent Warner Bros.

On the war's 14th day, Hegseth criticized CNN's reporting on the impact of Iran's disruption of traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical shipping passage, which has driven oil prices sharply higher and shaken the stock market. Reuters/Ipsos polling has shown little public support for the war, which Americans fear will drive gasoline prices higher.

The Pentagon has restricted press access under Hegseth, imposing policies that have led about 30 major news organizations, including Fox, the Washington Post and Reuters, to give up their credentials, with defense officials inviting in new outlets.

CNN STANDS BY ITS REPORTING

On Thursday, CNN reported that the Pentagon and the White House's National Security Council significantly underestimated Iran's willingness to close the strait, citing multiple sources familiar with the matter.

"We stand by our reporting," a CNN spokesperson said. Representatives for Paramount had no comment.

David Ellison, son of billionaire Larry Ellison, has deep ties to President Donald Trump's administration and is leading Paramount's Warner Bros takeover. Ellison took over Paramount after acquiring broadcaster CBS News in 2025 as part of its merger with Skydance Media. 

The Trump administration must approve the Paramount-Warner Bros deal, and the U.S. Federal Communications Commission chair this month signaled the agency would not block it. 

BIPARTISAN CONCERN ABOUT CNN DEAL

Both Democratic and Republican lawmakers have raised concerns that the media merger could reduce choices and raise costs for consumers. Critics have also raised concerns about the impact on editorial independence and the erosion of a free press despite protections under the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment.

Hegseth has invited mainstream media outlets back for briefings in the past two weeks on Iran operations but has mostly taken questions from reporters with non-traditional outlets.

He spent much of his opening statement on Friday criticizing war coverage. He also faulted ABC News for reporting on an FBI bulletin that warned that Tehran could try to retaliate for U.S. strikes by launching surprise drone attacks in California. ABC News did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

"We're used to bad reporting. We're used to ill-informed reporting, and so it doesn't change how we operate, but we engage with it to prove that it's not true," he said. He also called CNN's latest report on the strait "fake news," "patently ridiculous" and "a fundamentally unserious report."