Hegseth Defends Trump’s Iran War, Democrats Press Him on $25B Cost of Conflict/ TezzBuzz/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth faced Congress for the first time since the Iran war began, facing tough questions from Democrats. Lawmakers challenged the war’s $25 billion cost, lack of congressional approval, and unclear long-term strategy. Hegseth defended the administration’s actions while pushing for a record $1.5 trillion defense budget.
Pete Hegseth Iran War Congress Quick Looks
- Pete Hegseth testified before the House Armed Services Committee
- Democrats challenged the administration over the Iran war’s cost and strategy
- The war has cost the U.S. $25 billion so far
- The Pentagon is seeking a record $1.5 trillion defense budget for 2027
- Lawmakers questioned the lack of congressional approval for military action
- Hegseth said Iran’s nuclear ambitions remain despite past strikes
- Republicans defended Trump’s wartime leadership but want the conflict contained
- Rising oil prices and military buildup continue to pressure Washington
Deep Look
Hegseth Appears Before Congress During Iran War Scrutiny
WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth faced sharp questioning from lawmakers Wednesday during his first congressional appearance since the Trump administration entered war with Iran, as Democrats challenged the cost, purpose, and legality of the ongoing conflict.
The hearing before the House Armed Services Committee was officially centered on the Pentagon’s proposed 2027 military budget, which would increase defense spending to a historic $1.5 trillion.
But lawmakers quickly turned their focus to the growing financial and political consequences of the Iran war.
Democrats Question Cost and Lack of Authorization
Democratic lawmakers pressed Hegseth over the war’s rising price tag, the depletion of U.S. weapons stockpiles, and the absence of formal congressional approval before military action began.
Pentagon officials confirmed that the conflict has already cost the United States $25 billion.
Jules Hurst III, the acting undersecretary of war for finances, told lawmakers that most of the money has been spent on munitions, while additional costs came from active military operations and replacing damaged or used equipment.
The U.S. and Israel launched the war on Feb. 28 without direct congressional authorization, sparking repeated attempts by Democrats to pass war powers resolutions that would force President Donald Trump to seek formal approval from Congress.
Those efforts have failed in both the House and Senate.
Adam Smith Challenges Hegseth on Iran Nuclear Claims
One of the most intense moments came during an exchange between Hegseth and Democratic Rep. Adam Smith, the ranking Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee.
Smith questioned what he described as contradictions in the administration’s justification for war.
Hegseth said Iran’s nuclear facilities had been obliterated during a 2025 U.S. strike, but Smith pointed to earlier White House claims that Iran posed an immediate nuclear threat requiring urgent military action.
“We had to start this war, you just said 60 days ago, because the nuclear weapon was an imminent threat,” said Smith. “Now you’re saying that it was completely obliterated?”
Hegseth responded by saying Iran still had not abandoned its nuclear ambitions and continued to possess thousands of missiles.
Smith rejected that explanation and argued the war had changed little.
He said the conflict “left us at exactly the same place we were before.”
Hegseth Criticizes Democrats and Some Republicans
In his opening statement, Hegseth took direct aim at critics inside Congress, accusing Democrats — and even some Republicans — of undermining U.S. military operations.
“The biggest challenge, the biggest adversary we face at this point are the reckless, feckless and defeatist words of congressional Democrats and some Republicans,” Hegseth said.
His remarks reflected the growing political divide surrounding the war as concerns increase over how long the conflict could continue and what the endgame might look like.
Pentagon Pushes for Record Defense Spending
Alongside defending the Iran strategy, Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine argued for major increases in military spending.
The Pentagon’s 2027 proposal calls for $1.5 trillion in defense fundingthe largest military budget in U.S. history.
Officials said the extra funding is needed to strengthen missile defense systems, expand drone warfare capabilities, and increase the number of ships and aircraft available for global operations.
Republican Rep. Mike Rogers, chairman of the committeesupported the push and warned that U.S. military readiness is falling behind rivals like China, Russia, and Iran.
“We don’t have enough munitions, ships, aircraft or autonomous systems to ensure dominance against every adversary,” Rogers said.
“They are spending more of their GDP on defense than we are.”
Republicans Back Trump but Want War Contained
While Republicans largely continue supporting Trump’s wartime leadershipmany are also watching closely for signs the conflict could drag on politically and economically.
Some GOP lawmakers say they trust Trump’s handling of Iran’s nuclear threat and the possibility of renewed diplomacy.
At the same time, they are aware that rising fuel prices and prolonged military engagement could hurt Republicans heading into the midterm elections.
Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz — one of the world’s most important oil shipping routes — has sent global fuel prices sharply higher.
The U.S. responded with a naval blockade of Iranian shipping and expanded military deployments across the region.
There are now three American aircraft carriers stationed in the Middle East for the first time in more than 20 years.
Ceasefire Holds, But Tensions Remain High
Although a fragile ceasefire is currently in place, the broader conflict remains unresolved.
Trump is reportedly unlikely to accept Tehran’s latest proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz unless Iran agrees to broader conditions, including an end to the war, lifted naval restrictions, and delayed nuclear negotiations.
That leaves both countries in a tense stalemate with no clear political resolution.
For Hegseth, Wednesday’s hearing marked the beginning of what could be repeated congressional battles over both military funding and presidential war powers as the Iran conflict continues.
Joint Staff Chairman says Trump is making ‘tradeoffs’ in focusing military on Iran
Trump ordered three aircraft carriers into the Middle East — a number not seen since 2003. When asked why the U.S. military withdrew resources from Asia after identifying China as a top threat, the president’s top military advisor told lawmakers that Trump has to make “tradeoffs” when deploying troops.
“I’m confident that the president always carefully considers these readiness tradeoffs and I’m sure he has done so in this case based on the military options that we’ve presented with the associated risks and advice,” Caine said.
Rep. Joe Courtney, a Democrat, fired back by noting that the administration’s own National Defense Strategy released shortly before Trump launched the war said Iran was “weaker and more vulnerable than it has been in decades.” Putting that many troops to confront them, at the expense of other threats “does not, in my opinion, common sense,” Courtney said.
Hegseth engages in tense exchange over Iran’s nuclear program
Hegseth told Democratic Rep. Adam Smith that Iran’s nuclear facilities were obliterated in a 2025 attack by the U.S., prompting Smith to question the Trump administration’s reasoning for starting the Iran war.
“We had to start this war, you just said 60 days ago, because the nuclear weapon was an imminent threat,” Smith said. “Now you’re saying that it was completely obliterated?”
Hegseth responded by saying that Iran “had not given up their nuclear ambitions” and still had thousands of missiles.
Smith said the war “left us at exactly the same place we were before.”
Top defense official says Iran war costs are estimated at $25 billion so far
During a hearing of the House Armed Services Committee, Jules Hurst III, the acting undersecretary of war for finances, said most of the expense has been on munitions, but the military has also spent money on running the operations and equipment replacement.
“We will formulate a supplemental through the White House that will come to Congress once we have a full assessment of the cost of the conflict,” Hurst added.
Caine says his goal is to tell civilian leaders what they need to hear
The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff told the committee in his opening statement that he wants to emulate Gen. George C. Marshall, who served during World War II and later helped Europe recover from the conflict.
“His commitment to civilian control and military and nonpartisan military remains a constant standard in something I borrow from often,” Caine said. “I strive daily to emulate his candor, delivering the facts to our leaders and telling them always what they need to hear, not always what they want to hear.”
Hegseth slams Iran war critics as ‘biggest adversary we face’
“The biggest challenge, the biggest adversary, we face at this point are the reckless, feckless and defeatist words of congressional Democrats and some Republicans,” the U.S. defense secretary told lawmakers on the House Armed Services Committee.
Rep. Adam Smith, the ranking Democrat, told Hegseth that he finds it “absurd” to claim that the Pentagon’s strategy is built on realism when the war in Iran seems like “the exact opposite of realism.”
Smith also said Hegseth needs to explain what the Trump administration’s goals were for the conflict.
“We’ve seen the cost, and the cost is very, very high,” he said.
Hegseth argued that the historically high Pentagon budget request will maintain “the world’s most powerful and capable military as we grapple with a complex threat environment across multiple theaters.”
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