U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth sharply criticized congressional Democrats as “the biggest adversary we face” during a heated hearing Wednesday, as the Pentagon disclosed the war with Iran has already cost an estimated $25 billion.
Hegseth told the House Armed Services Committee that boosting next year’s Pentagon budget to an unprecedented $1.5 trillion will "maintain the world’s most powerful and capable military.”
Meanwhile, talks on ending the war have stalled. Trump posted an image on social media showing himself carrying a weapon in a war zone, saying, "NO MORE MR. NICE GUY!”
The defense secretary pushed back on Democratic criticisms that the Trump administration has led Americans into a "quagmire,” pointing out that the conflict is only two months old and asserting it has had great success against the Islamic Republic. The U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan dragged on for years, he said.
"We're spending about $25 billion on Operation Epic Fury. Most of that is in munitions," acting Pentagon comptroller Jules Hurst told lawmakers, using the official name for the U.S. operation.
Hegseth later told the same congressional hearing that the estimated figure was less than $25 billion at this point.
The Pentagon chief pushed back against questions about the war's cost, saying: "The question I would ask this committee is, what is it worth to ensure that Iran never gets a nuclear weapon?"
The United States and Israel launched a massive air campaign against Iran's military and leadership on Feb. 28.
Trump said in early March that operations are likely to last four to five weeks but that he was prepared "to go far longer than that.”
The U.S. and Iran do appear to be locked in a stalemate. Trump seems unlikely to accept Tehran’s latest offer to reopen the strait if the U.S. ends the war, lifts its sea blockade and postpones nuclear talks. The Iranians seem unwilling to give up their nuclear ambitions before ending the conflict.
