Pentagon Chief Hegseth Dodges Hard Questions in First Iran War Hearing as Costs Soar to $25 Billion

The Pentagon’s top brass finally went public with the price tag of the ongoing US-Israel war on Iran: a staggering $25 billion, revealed during a tense congressional hearing that exposed deep uncertainty and contradictions about the conflict’s aims and progress.

Pete Hegseth, Secretary of Defense and vocal Trump loyalist, appeared alongside General Dan Caine to field hours of sharp questioning from lawmakers concerned about the war’s trajectory. The conflict, launched on February 28, has dragged past two months with a naval blockade on the Strait of Hormuz and a fragile ceasefire that Trump threatens to shatter with renewed attacks.

Jules Hurst III, the Pentagon’s acting comptroller, disclosed that most of the $25 billion cost stems from munitions and the deployment of additional military assets. Yet Hegseth dodged questions on whether this figure includes damage to US bases or replenishing depleted weapons stockpiles. Reports suggest the administration may soon ask Congress for an extra $200 billion, though no formal request has been made.

When pressed on the war’s justification, particularly Iran’s nuclear program, Hegseth’s statements revealed glaring inconsistencies. He claimed Iran’s nuclear ambitions were “obliterated” in a previous 2025 conflict, yet insisted the threat remains imminent now. Democrats like Representative Adam Smith called out this contradiction, pointing out that Iran’s nuclear capabilities are essentially unchanged since the war began.

The hearing grew heated as Representative John Garamendi labeled the war a “quagmire” and a “political and economic disaster.” Hegseth fired back, accusing critics of “handing propaganda to our enemies” and blaming “reckless, feckless and defeatist” congressional rhetoric for emboldening Iran.

Hegseth’s combative stance extended to his past declaration of “no quarter, no mercy” for enemies—a phrase synonymous with war crimes. When challenged, he sidestepped accountability, insisting the Department of War equips soldiers with rules of engagement to be “as effective as humanly possible.”

Lawmakers also confronted Hegseth over the deadly US strike on a school in Minab that killed at least 120 children. He dismissed questions tying the tragedy to taxpayer costs, saying the incident remains under investigation.

Perhaps most telling was Hegseth’s unwavering praise for Donald Trump, whom he called “the sharpest and most insightful commander-in-chief we have had in generations” despite the president’s threats to “destroy an entire civilisation” and the mounting human and financial costs of the war.

This hearing laid bare a Pentagon unwilling or unable to provide clarity or accountability for a conflict that continues to drain resources and lives while leaving Americans in the dark about the true stakes and strategy. As the war grinds on, taxpayers deserve more than deflections and bravado from those entrusted with their safety and money.