Democrats Challenge Pete Hegseth After He Confirms Iran's Nuclear Sites Were Destroyed Months Before the Current Conflict Began

In his first congressional appearance since the Trump administration began military operations against Iran, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth faced sharp questioning Wednesday from Democrats who argued the conflict was launched without congressional authorization.

According to Pentagon figures shared with the House Armed Services Committee during a heated hearing focused on the administration's 2027 military budget proposal, the war has incurred a cost of $25 billion to date. The proposed 2027 military budget would bring total defense expenditures to $1.5 trillion.

The defense secretary disputed claims that the U.S. involvement in Iran had become "a quagmire." During the congressional hearing, Hegseth argued that those criticizing the operation posed a greater threat to the U.S. than Iran itself, as reported by The Irish Star.

Hegseth testified Wednesday alongside Joint Chiefs Chairman General Dan Caine. In the hearing, he and his team requested lawmakers to approve $1.5 trillion in military expenditure, and then labeled some of those lawmakers as “the greatest obstacle” to the war initiative.

At the hearing, which went on for six hours, Hegset

h said, “The biggest adversary we face at this point is the reckless, feckless and defeatist words of congressional Democrats and some Republicans", rejecting the criticism as political and rebuking legislators who pressed him for responses.

Jules Hurst III, the Pentagon's chief financial officer, told the committee the war has cost $25 billion to date. Hurst indicated that the majority of expenses have been spent on munitions, which encompass operations, maintenance, and equipment replacement.

The United States has been engaged in the conflict for two months, even though Trump expected it to last just four to five weeks. When questioned regarding the extension of the conflict, Hegseth referenced the U.S.’s extended and difficult missions in Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan.

Hegseth called the conflict "an existential fight for the safety of the American people" and said the administration was proud of the operation.

During a heated discussion, as per CBC, he informed Democratic Rep. Adam Smith that the U.S. destroyed Iran's nuclear sites in 2025 assaults, leading Smith to challenge the Trump administration’s justification for starting the war less than a year later.

Smith questioned, "We had to start this war, you just said 60 days ago, because the nuclear weapon was an imminent threat. Now you're saying that it was completely obliterated?" Hegseth quickly responded, “They had not given up their ‘ambitions’...”

Trump told Axios he was rejecting Iran's offer to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, according to the Associated Press, in return for lifting the U.S. blockade — a plan that would delay talks regarding Iran's nuclear programs. Trump informed Axios that he does not wish to remove the blockade until Iran addresses its nuclear goals.

The president said, “The blockade is somewhat more effective than the bombing. And it is going to be worse for them. They can’t have a nuclear weapon.”

Many users on X reacted to the grilling of the Defense Secretary and how he handled the situation. One user wrote, "The whole purpose of the war was to curb their ambitions?”, and another said, “They had not given up their ‘ambitions,’ So the only way to get rid of someone's ambitions is genocide?” One more user stressed, “So how exactly do you bomb ‘ambitions’?”

The hearing comes as Trump separately posted an AI-generated image of himself brandishing a weapon amid explosions with the caption "No More Mr. Nice Guy." .