U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth is set to testify before Congress on Wednesday for the first time regarding the war in Iran. The testimony comes as negotiations to end the conflict remain stalled, and the dual U.S.-Iranian blockade of the Strait of Hormuz continues.
اضافة اعلان
Hegseth, alongside General Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, will face questioning from the House Armed Services Committee amid intense criticism from the Democratic opposition.
Since the outbreak of the war with the initial U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28, lawmakers from both the Republican and Democratic parties have criticized the administration for failing to provide briefings to Congress. Typically, members of Congress are regularly updated on information classified under "defense secrets."
Hegseth—one of the most controversial figures in the Trump administration—is expected to face sharp questioning from Democrats as the economic fallout of the war impacts the entire world, including the United States, particularly with soaring fuel prices.
Democratic Representative Maggie Goodlander stated, "Finally, Secretary Hegseth will appear before the House Armed Services Committee this week. It is time to hold him accountable for a war launched by choice."
Calls for Investigation
Negotiations to end the Middle East conflict remain in a state of deadlock, though the United States has announced it is "studying" new Iranian proposals to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Iran effectively closed the vital waterway for global oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies exactly two months ago at the start of the U.S.-Israeli offensive. The future of navigation in the region has become a major point of contention, with Washington also imposing its own blockade on Iranian ports.
Hegseth’s leadership of the war effort has drawn significant ire from Democrats, who have initiated six separate mechanisms to remove him from office, though with little hope of success. Many lawmakers, including some Republicans, have also criticized the administration for failing to consult Congress before launching the war, noting that the Constitution grants Congress alone the power to formally declare war.
Furthermore, more than a dozen Democrats requested an "immediate and formal investigation" last week into the deaths of six U.S. soldiers in Kuwait during the early days of the conflict, alleging that the Secretary "misled the public regarding the circumstances of the attack." To date, a total of 13 U.S. service members have been killed since February 28, and 400 have been wounded.
Sharp Increase in Defense Budget
Lawmakers are also expected to question Hegseth on the cost of the war, both in terms of the budget and the extensive use of missiles with limited stockpiles, amid fears of a critical depletion of strategic weaponry.
The hearing is officially centered on the executive branch's request to increase the already massive defense budget by 42%, reaching $1.5 trillion for the year 2027—an amount equivalent to the GDP of countries like Indonesia or the Netherlands.
The session may also address the wave of high-level resignations at the Pentagon and the use of Artificial Intelligence in the armed forces. In this context, a dispute has emerged between the company Anthropic and the Department of Defense over the company's refusal to allow its AI technologies to be used for domestic mass surveillance or "smart warfare."
(Source: AFP)
