Hegseth Hearing Draws Nearly Six Hours of House Questions
Pete Hegseth spent nearly six hours before House lawmakers on Wednesday in the hegseth hearing on the war against Iran, his first public questioning from Congress since President Donald Trump’s administration launched the conflict. Democrats pressed him on whether the war was a costly choice taken without congressional approval, and Hegseth is set to face the Senate on Thursday.
Pete Hegseth and House lawmakers
The hearing put the Defense Secretary in front of lawmakers after he had mostly taken questions from conservative journalists and, with Gen. Dan Caine, held televised Pentagon briefings. Democrats used the session to challenge the administration’s conduct of the war and to force Hegseth to answer in a congressional setting that had been avoided until Wednesday.
The line of questioning moved quickly from authority to costs. Democrats raised the ballooning expense of the Iran war, the large drawdown of critical U.S. munitions, and the bombing of an elementary school that killed children. They also asked how prepared the military was to shoot down swarms of Iranian drones, after some of those drones penetrated U.S. defenses and killed or injured American troops.
Trump and the Strait of Hormuz
The hearing unfolded as Trump told Axios that he is rejecting Iran’s proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for a lift of the U.S. blockade. The Iranian proposal would postpone discussions of Iran’s nuclear program, keeping that issue tied to the larger conflict.
Vice President J.D. Vance added a separate note of concern in a Channel interview airing Wednesday, saying, “Of course I’m concerned about, you know, our readiness because that’s my job to be concerned.” He also said, “It’s of course my job to ask these questions. It’s of course my job to make sure that we’re on top of every issue.”
Araghchi on Wednesday
While lawmakers questioned Hegseth, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi spent Wednesday on calls with the foreign ministers of India, Kenya and Poland, and also spoke with Mirjana Spoljaric and Nabih Berri. Araghchi had visited Oman and Pakistan on Sunday, then went to Moscow on Monday and met with Vladimir Putin.
Republicans said they will keep faith in Trump’s wartime leadership for now, citing Iran’s nuclear program, the potential for talks to resume, and the high stakes of withdrawal. Some GOP lawmakers also said they are eager for the conflict to end and are eyeing future votes that could become an important test if the war drags on.
Hegseth’s next appearance comes Thursday before the Senate, where lawmakers are likely to press the same issues that dominated the House hearing: the cost of the war, the strain on U.S. munitions, and the readiness of American defenses against Iranian drones.
