Hegseth Spars with Lawmakers over Iran
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth testified in Congress before the House Armed Services Committee on Wednesday, answering questions about the ongoing war with Iran. “It's been an astounding military success,” Hegseth told House members.
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Hegseth clashed with Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) about the total costs of the conflict. “What would you pay to ensure Iran doesn’t get a nuclear bomb?” Hegseth asked while being pressed by the lawmaker.
Jules Hurst, the Pentagon’s acting comptroller, testified alongside Hegseth and said the U.S. has so far spent “about $25 billion” on the war, mostly on ammunition. It is the first public estimate by the Department of Defense of the war’s total cost.
Protesters were seen confronting Hegseth on Capitol Hill, with demonstrators overheard asking Hegseth about the Minab school bombing, which killed more than 160 schoolchildren in Iran at the start of the war.
