India, April 17 -- Former White House strategist Steve Bannon has advised US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to reduce overt religious references in official briefings.

According to a report by The Hill, Bannon urged Hegseth to "tone down" Bible references during public communications about ongoing military operations in Iran. He warned that such rhetoric could complicate messaging and widen political divisions.

Hegseth has frequently criticized the media's coverage of the war during his regular Pentagon briefings, and on Thursday, he took another jab at the press corps and compared some reporters to the Pharisees, a Jewish community that is often depicted in the Bible as Jesus' adversaries.

Hegseth said, "As I just can't help but notic...