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.
