Hegseth defends $1.5 trillion budget to Congress as Iran war cost climbs [View all]

Source: AP

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told House lawmakers Tuesday that the ceasefire with Iran remains in effect despite recent exchanges of fire as he faces another round of bipartisan questioning over the costs and endgame of the war.

He just finished testifying before the Senate, where one Democrat said he's worried “you’ve achieved a series of tactical successes but are on the verge of a strategic loss.”

Hegseth has so far softened his tone from previous congressional hearings as he defended the Trump administration’s historic $1.5 trillion military budget request for 2027. The Pentagon’s top budget official told Congress the cost of the war has climbed to nearly $29 billion, up $4 billion from the price he provided nearly two weeks ago.

President Donald Trump, meanwhile, is facing increasing pressure from the economic shocks of Iran effectively closing the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping corridor where 20% of the world’s oil normally flows.

Read more: https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/us--trump-the-latest-121700698.html