Iran-US conflict newest: Pete Hegseth heckled forward of grilling by Congress as Defense official reveals price ticket for battle
Embattled Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was heckled on his way into a Congressional grilling about his handling of the Iran war, as a Pentagon official said the estimated cost of the conflict was $25 billion so far.
Hegseth is being questioned under oath by the House Armed Services Committee alongside Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine, as negotiations to end President Donald Trump’s war remain at an impasse.
The war, which Hegseth pledged in early March would likely last between “four to five weeks,” has now entered its eighth week.
Democratic Rep. Jason Crow of Colorado, who sits on the committee, told Politico that “Hegseth’s got a lot to answer to from this disastrous war,” while fellow Democratic Rep. Chris Deluzio of Pennsylvania accused the Pentagon chief of “dodging congressional questions about the Iran war since Day One.”
Hegseth will likely be questioned about his hollowing out of leadership at the Pentagon after he fired Navy Secretary John Phelan and the chief of staff of the Army, Gen. Randy George.
Trump fired Kristi Noem as Homeland Security Secretary following her disastrous performance at her congressional hearings in March, while Attorney General Pam Bondi was removed from her post a couple of months after a chaotic appearance at February hearings.
Briefing: What we know on 61st day of Iran war
- President Donald Trump has reportedly told his aides to prepare for a prolonged blockade of Iran, choosing sustained economic pressure over further strikes or withdrawal.
- Oil prices rose on news there was no end in sight to blockade
- U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth testifies before Congress on war
- Trump claimed Iran has informed the U.S. it was “in a State of Collapse”, though this has not been confirmed by Tehran.
- A public spat between Donald Trump and German chancellor Friedrich Merz erupted after the latter said the U.S. was being “humiliated” by Iran
- The United Arab Emirates has quit Opec after nearly 60 years, weakening the group and signaling a major shift in global oil politics and regional alliances.
- Former US officials have criticized the lack of transparency over the deadly Minab school strike in Iran, calling the Pentagon’s silence “highly unusual”
Pentagon budget official says full cost of war is $25 billion
The Pentagon’s budget official, Jules Hurst, has revealed that the cost of the war in Iran to date is $25 billion.
The estimated price tag has been spent mostly on munitions, according to Hurst.
Watch: Hegseth asks God to watch over troops in his opening statement
‘We made a mistake’: Smith condemns administration’s response to school strike in Iran
Rep. Adam Smith also acknowledged the U.S. involvement in a deadly strike on an Iranian elementary school earlier this year.
The strike killed 175 people, including children, in the opening days of the war.
”We made a mistake and that happens in war… two months after it happened we refused to say anything about it, giving the world the impression that we just don’t care,” Smith said.
Democratic Rep. Adam Smith condemns Trump’s threat to ‘destroy entire civilizations’
In his opening statement, Democratic Rep. Adam Smith, the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, has condemned President Donald Trump’s threats to “kill off an entire civilization.”
Smith was referring to a Truth Social post Trump shared at the beginning of April.
“I also worry about the values when the President threatens to kill off an entire civilization,” Smith said. “That is the message coming out of United States of America. If we are going to be this big, powerful force that throws our weight around, the world wants to know, at a minimum, that we do for the right reasons, or the sense of values, to protect people, not to destroy entire civilizations.”
House Armed Services Committee kicks off hearing
The House Armed Services Committee is introducing the session ahead of testimony from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
The hearing is officially to discuss the Pentagon’s proposed budget, but it will also be the first time that Hegseth publicly answers questions on the Iran war on Capitol Hill.
Pictured: Hegseth takes his seat as hearing gets underway
What to watch out for during the hearing
Democratic Reps. Jason Crow of Colorado and Chris DeLuzio of Pennsylvania were both part of the video saying servicemembers could refuse illegal orders. Expect fireworks between them and Secretary Pete Hegseth.
In addition, Rep. Nancy Mace, a firebrand MAGA Republican, has criticized the lack of transparency on the war. Mace has said she might vote for a War Powers Act resolution. But she is also running for governor and needs President Donald Trump’s endorsement.
WATCH: Pete Hegseth is heckled on his way into the hearing
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has arrived in Congress to testify about the war in Iran.
He was filmed being heckled on his way in.
Senate Republicans claim Hegseth would not pass confirmation process today: report
Wednesday’s hearing is part one of two. Pete Hegseth will go up in front of the Senate Armed Services Committee tomorrow, where he could be in for a rough ride.
Several members of the chamber spoke to The Hill on the promise of anonymity to trash the former Fox News anchor now serving as the civilian chief of America’s military.
Those senators said that they hoped Trump would “move on” from Hegseth’s efforts to transform his agency, while noting that the decision was ultimately the president’s call.
John Bowden has more details.
Source: independent.co.uk
