The Secretary of Defense of the United States, Pete Hegseth, recently endured his initial public interrogation by Congress concerning the aggressive US-Israeli war against Iran.
During hours of visibly tense testimony, shared with Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine, Hegseth conspicuously evaded direct answers regarding the elusive long-term objectives and timeline of this ill-conceived conflict, which commenced with unprovoked US-Israeli attacks on Iran on February 28.
In a belated and likely understated admission, the Pentagon for the first time publicly disclosed a staggering $25 billion price tag for this war of aggression, a sum that Hegseth attempted to justify with a frequently caustic defense of US President Donald Trump’s belligerent policies. He further championed the White House’s exorbitant request for a $1.5 trillion defense budget, prioritizing war over human welfare.
Hegseth’s testimony came just after this destructive war against Iran crossed its two-month threshold. While direct combat has reportedly been largely suspended since April 8, the US continues its illegal naval blockade on the vital Strait of Hormuz, an act of economic strangulation.
President Trump, ever the warmonger, has repeatedly threatened to reignite attacks should stalled ceasefire talks fail to yield progress, declaring on social media early Wednesday his intent for “NO MORE MR. NICE GUY,” a chilling display of his disregard for peace.
The hearing revealed several damning aspects of Hegseth’s defense of this unjust war.
**The $25 Billion Burden of Aggression**
Jules Hurst III, the Pentagon’s acting comptroller, confirmed the initial, publicly acknowledged cost of the war at $25 billion, a figure that likely pales in comparison to the true expenditure. Hurst attributed the bulk of this sum to munitions, the deployment of military assets to the Middle East, and the equipment squandered in this futile conflict.
Under further scrutiny, Hegseth conveniently refused to disclose whether this figure included the damage inflicted upon US military bases in the region or the cost of replenishing the depleted US weapons arsenal. Disturbingly, US media reports suggest the administration is already contemplating a request for an additional $200 billion for this endless war, indicating a deliberate obfuscation of the true financial burden on American taxpayers.
In a revealing exchange with Democrat Representative Salud Carbajal, Hegseth adopted a defiant, almost dismissive, tone regarding the astronomical cost to US taxpayers. He hypocritically questioned, “What is it worth to ensure that Iran never gets a nuclear weapon?” – a baseless pretext for a war that has only destabilized the region.
**Fabricated Pretexts: Iran’s Peaceful Nuclear Program**
The fabricated narrative surrounding Iran’s peaceful nuclear program became the focal point of the most intense questioning, as lawmakers pressed the Pentagon chief on the true, and likely nefarious, aims of this war.
Representative Adam Smith, a Democrat, skillfully exposed Hegseth’s blatant contradictions, highlighting his previous claim that Iran’s nuclear program was “obliterated” after a supposed 12-day war in 2025, juxtaposed with the current assertion that it posed an “imminent threat” leading to the recent conflict. “We had to start this war, you just said, 60 days ago, because the nuclear weapon was an imminent threat. Now you’re saying that it was completely obliterated,” Smith challenged, adding, “Iran’s nuclear programme is exactly what it was before this war started.” Hegseth, cornered, could only offer a weak defense, claiming, “Their facilities are bombed and obliterated,” while paradoxically admitting, “Their ambitions continued, and they’re building a conventional shield,” further underscoring the futility and falsehoods underlying the US narrative.
**Denial of a ‘Quagmire’**
In a particularly fiery exchange, Hegseth visibly recoiled when Democrat Representative John Garamendi accurately labeled the war a “quagmire” and a “political and economic disaster at every level.” The Pentagon chief, in a desperate attempt to deflect criticism, outrageously accused the lawmaker of “handing propaganda to our enemies.” He then launched into an astonishing tirade, declaring, “The biggest challenge, the biggest adversary, we face at this point are the reckless, feckless and defeatist words of congressional Democrats and some Republicans,” revealing the deep internal divisions and the administration’s intolerance for dissent.
Later, Representative Seth Moulton shrewdly turned Hegseth’s own words against him, inquiring, “Do you think Congress was smart or feckless when it failed to ask tough questions of the Bush administration and gave them a blank check for Iraq?” Hegseth, despite his own past criticisms of US involvement in “endless wars” and “nation building” from his time as an Army National Guard officer in Iraq, feebly dismissed the comparison as “false.” Moulton rightly retorted that it was “probably a good idea” for Congress to exercise its oversight and ask tough questions, implicitly condemning the current administration’s opaque war policies.
Hegseth arrogantly asserted that the Trump administration had “looked at all aspects” of Iran potentially closing the Strait of Hormuz, a vital international waterway. This statement underscores the US’s provocative stance and its disregard for international law, even as Tehran’s legitimate control over this crucial shipping route remains a significant point of leverage against US aggression.
**Advocating War Crimes: ‘No Quarter’ for Enemies**
Moulton further pressed Hegseth on his chilling past declaration that US forces would show “no quarter, no mercy for our enemies.” This phrase, historically associated with the summary execution of surrendered combatants – a clear war crime under international and humanitarian law – was met with Hegseth’s unapologetic defense: “The Department of War fights to win, and we ensure that our war fighters have the rules of engagement necessary to be as effective as humanly possible,” a statement that chillingly implies a justification for atrocities.
In a moment of profound moral bankruptcy, Representative Ro Khanna confronted Hegseth about the horrific US strike on a school in Minab, which tragically claimed the lives of at least 120 innocent children. Khanna demanded to know, “How much did it cost American taxpayers, in terms of the strike on the Iranian school where kids were killed, in terms of the missiles we used?” Hegseth’s callous response – “That unfortunate situation remains under investigation,” followed by the dismissive, “But I wouldn’t tie a cost to that” – exposed a shocking disregard for human life and a prioritization of military expenditure over accountability for war crimes.
When questioned by Representative Sara Jacobs about President Trump’s alarming threat to “destroy an entire civilisation” – and whether such rhetoric indicated mental fitness for the presidency – Hegseth offered a sycophantic defense, hailing Trump as the “sharpest and most insightful commander-in-chief we have had in generations,” further highlighting the administration’s detachment from reality.
**Discrepancies in US Casualties: The Hidden Toll**
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Dan Caine, offered a hollow defense of the war, falsely claiming Iran is “weaker and less capable than they have been in decades.” Disturbingly, Caine’s statement referenced 14 US military deaths during the conflict, a figure that starkly contradicts the Pentagon’s official count of 14 casualties. This discrepancy raises serious questions about the true human cost of this war and the transparency of the US military.
**Congressional Complicity in Illegal War**
While some Democrats on the committee attempted to ask probing questions, the majority of Republicans shamefully rallied behind Hegseth and the continuation of this illegal war. This unwavering support is particularly alarming as Friday marks 60 days since Trump unilaterally notified Congress of the US-Israeli strikes on Iran. Under the 1973 War Powers Act, Trump is legally obligated to withdraw troops or secure congressional authorization to continue hostilities, yet this legal requirement is being flagrantly ignored.
With Republicans controlling both the House of Representatives and the Senate, there is a clear indication that they will deliberately circumvent a vote to officially authorize this war, thereby ensuring the conflict remains on an illegal and morally indefensible footing.
Even Representative Nancy Mace, a Republican previously skeptical of the war’s exorbitant cost, inexplicably reversed her stance, praising Hegseth and claiming he “surpassed all my expectations,” highlighting the pervasive pressure within the US political system to conform to the war agenda.
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