Hegseth Defends US-Israel War Against Iran

0:00On April 29th, Pete Hakesf, the U.S. Defense Secretary, pushed back hard during a House Armed Services Committee hearing, denying that the U.S. Israel, Oregon's Iran is turning into a quagmire. Two months in, the conflicts already cost an estimated $25 billion, mostly on munitions and gear replacements. He called critics in Congress a bigger threat than Iran itself, and asked for a massive $1.5 trillion military budget boost. Meanwhile, Hakesf testified alongside General Dan Cain, Chair of the Joint Chiefs, stressing this as an existential fight for American safety. He compared it to past wars like Vietnam and Iraq, once he once slammed, but now sees as tests of endurance. President Trump amped things up by posting an AI-generated image of himself, with a weapon amid explosions, captioned no more Mr. Nice Guy, and hinted, at keeping a naval blockade on Iran, until they cut a deal. No testers outside, labelled Hakesf and Cain war criminals, with chance echoing through

1:02the halls, while folks struggled to get into the hearing. Democrats like John Garamendi accused the administration of incompetence, trapping America and another Middle East mess. Ranking member Adam Smith questioned the huge spending jump in diplomatic fallout, pointing to insults hurled at allies like France's President even, as NATO help is needed. Republicans peaked in sharp exchanges, with Hakesf firing back at claims of failure, insisting the mission succeeding despite the hate for Trump. Lawmakers grilled him on a school strike in Iran, that killed over 160 people, mostly kids, and whether nuclear sites were truly, obliterated or if the threat lingers. Republicans like Chair Mike Rogers backed the budget, citing adversary spending and a 7% pay raise for troops. As costs climb and the war drags beyond the predicted four to six weeks, the administration vows to stare down Iran for a better deal, and no nukes. But doubts persist on management and isolation from allies.