KABUL: U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has appeared before American lawmakers for the first time since the start of the joint U.S. and Israel military campaign against Iran, according to The Washington Post.
The newspaper reported early Thursday that the congressional hearing lasted about six hours, and Hegseth is expected to return later today for further questioning before the U.S. Senate.
During the session, officials from the U.S. Department of Defense confirmed that the cost of Washington’s military operations against Iran has reached approximately $25 billion, most of which was spent on munitions and operational activities.
Footage from the hearing showed Hegseth facing intense questioning and criticism from lawmakers, particularly Democrats.
The Defense Secretary defended the ongoing military campaign, describing it as necessary to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.
Democratic lawmakers, however, questioned the justification for continued military action, arguing that if previous strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities were successful, the rationale for an ongoing war is unclear.
Efforts by Democratic members of Congress to end U.S. military involvement in Iran have so far failed five times, according to the report.
U.S. Defense Secretary tells lawmakers Iran war cost reaches $25 billion
