Senate Questions Hegseth on Iran War, $1.5T Budget

WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth faced a second day of intense questioning from lawmakers on Thursday as the Senate Armed Services Committee examined his handling of the ongoing war with Iran and the Trump administration's proposed 2027 military budget.

The Senate hearing follows a nearly six-hour session before the House Armed Services Committee on Wednesday, where Hegseth clashed with Democrats and some Republicans over the conflict's mounting costs in American lives, dollars spent and depleted stockpiles of critical weapons. Hegseth and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Dan Caine presented details on the $1.5 trillion defense budget proposal, the largest in U.S. history, emphasizing needs for additional drones, missile defense systems and warships.

Lawmakers pressed Hegseth on troop deployments and resource strains amid the two-month-old war, which began in late February. Iran has blocked the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint for one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments, driving energy prices sharply higher. Brent crude oil surged past $126 per barrel early Thursday before settling at $121.90 for June delivery, up from around $70 before the conflict.