‘This is madness’ – US lawmakers enraged by Trump’s policy on Hormuz, also questioning war spending

Washington : Amid ongoing tensions between the United States and Iran, US President Donald Trump is facing criticism within his own country. Democratic Congressman Chris Murphy has sharply criticized Trump’s strategy, calling it “madness.”

Murphy said that the Strait of Hormuz was open before the war began, but now the US is trying to solve a problem it created. He claimed that the US is spending approximately $2 billion per day on the conflict with Iran, which is an enormous amount.

The lawmaker also said that the war is costing American citizens their lives and that many families in the country have lost loved ones. He warned that these numbers could rise if the conflict continues, citing the sharp rise in global fuel and other commodity prices.

Tensions escalate over Hormuz

Following the US and Israeli attacks, Iran has tightened its control over the Strait of Hormuz. Reports indicate Tehran is allowing only some allied vessels to pass through and is threatening to attack or impose tariffs on other tankers.

Meanwhile, Trump extended the deadline for Iran to open the Strait and said he would postpone bombing Iranian power plants for the time being. However, ceasefire talks between the two countries are still reported to be deadlocked.

Ships returned

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed it had warned and turned back three ships attempting to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, which the Guards say is closed to ships belonging to “enemy countries.”

The US has deployed additional troops, while Israel has sent more troops to southern Lebanon to step up operations against Hezbollah , amid a growing military buildup in the region, raising fears of further escalation of tensions in West Asia.