'You, Sir, Are the Failure — Win the War!': Chaos in the Senate as Hegseth Admits the Iran War Has Cost Americans $37.5 Billion
The US Defense Secretary's hearing was repeatedly interrupted by protesters as senators demanded a clear plan — while oil hit a five-week high.
The hearing of US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth before the Senate Appropriations Committee on Tuesday turned into one of the most heated scenes in Washington this year. Hegseth told senators the war with Iran has cost the United States an estimated $37.5 billion so far — nearly $8 billion more than the estimate given in May.
The Pentagon is asking Congress for an additional $87.6 billion, of which $67 billion is earmarked for operations in the Middle East. 'Without these funds, we face critical shortfalls that threaten our ability to also simply pay our service members, rapidly replenish equipment and munitions, and sustain vital operations without disruption,' Hegseth warned.
The hearing was repeatedly interrupted by anti-war protesters, and tensions peaked in an open shouting match between Hegseth and Democratic Senator Gary Peters. 'You, sir, are the failure. Not the men and women who are on that front line... You don't have a long-term plan to actually win this war. Win the war!' Peters shouted, to which Hegseth replied that the senator was suffering from 'Trump Derangement Syndrome.'
Criticism did not come only from Democrats. Republican Senator John Kennedy demanded 'straight answers,' calling the situation 'serious as four heart attacks and a stroke.' Senator Kirsten Gillibrand noted that 'the American people don't know who to believe or what to believe. They just know they can't afford their healthcare, their food, their housing.'
The same day, US forces carried out strikes on Iran for the eleventh consecutive day, while Tehran retaliated against American positions in Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan. The Pentagon confirmed the deaths of three American soldiers in the region.
The war is weighing ever more heavily on the global economy. Brent crude rose 2 percent on Tuesday to settle at $91.01 a barrel — a five-week high — further fueled by the Houthi threat of a naval blockade of Saudi Arabia. The effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz has already forced Asian refineries to cut diesel and jet fuel output by at least one million barrels per day, and China's oil imports have fallen to just 40 percent of pre-war levels.
The US–Iran war began on February 28 this year, and the ceasefire agreed in April collapsed in mid-July. With the new funding request, the total bill for American taxpayers could exceed $100 billion before the end of the year.
