US EditionHegseth clashes with Democrats over Iran war, Pentagon firings
Democrats pressed Hegseth on a $25 billion war bill and the ouster of top Pentagon leaders as Republicans backed the Iran campaign.
- On Wednesday, April 29, 2026, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth testified before the House Armed Services Committee, defending the administration's proposed $1.5 trillion defense budget amid scrutiny over the Iran war.
- Pentagon officials disclosed the Iran war has cost an estimated $25 billion so far, primarily for munitions, a figure intensifying congressional debate over defense spending and war funding justification.
- Democratic ranking member Adam Smith challenged the Pentagon's account, saying the U.S. has not achieved stated objectives; Hegseth countered by calling war critics 'reckless, feckless and defeatist' in heated exchanges.
- Friday, May 1, marks the War Powers Resolution of 1973 deadline, forcing the Trump administration to either seek congressional approval or withdraw troops without formal authorization for continued fighting.
- With midterm elections approaching in six months, Congress faces immediate choices on war funding, with some lawmakers signaling they may assert war-powers limits to force a strategic shift.
201 Articles
201 Articles
Pete Hegseth faces second day of Democrats grilling over Iran war and costs
Washington: Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth will face a second day of grilling from Democrats on Capitol Hill, with senators getting their first opportunity on Thursday to confront or praise the Pentagon chief over his handling of the Iran war.Hegseth battled with Democrats - and some Republicans - a day earlier during a nearly six-hour House Armed Services Committee hearing, where he faced sharp questioning over the war's costs in dollars, lives…
Trump rejects Iran’s latest proposal as Democrats confront Hegseth over war
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth faced nearly six hours of questioning Wednesday from House lawmakers for the first time since President Donald Trump’s administration launched the war against Iran, which Democrats have contested as a costly conflict of choice waged without congressional approval.Trump, meanwhile, told Axios that he’s rejecting Iran’s proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for a lift of the U.S. blockade — a plan that …
Pentagon chief spars with lawmakers over Iran war
WASHINGTON: US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth repeatedly clashed with Democratic lawmakers over the Iran conflict on Wednesday, in his first testimony to Congress since President Donald Trump launched the war more than two months ago. Appearing before the House Armed Services Committee, Hegseth quickly struck a combative tone, saying in his opening remarks that the main challenge at this point is the “defeatist words of Democrats and some Repub…
Hegseth’s House hearing shows partisan divide over Iran war
For the first time since the U.S. went to war with Iran, Defense Secretary Hegseth faced sharp questions on Wednesday from Congress. During the hearing, the Pentagon revealed that the war so far has cost $25 billion. The fighting is on hold, but the military maintains its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Nick Schifrin reports.
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