Hegseth, Caine face Senate grilling on Iran war as Hormuz blockade rattles oil markets
War Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine are set to face Senate grilling on the Iran conflict and the Pentagon's proposed $1.5 trillion fiscal 2027 budget. Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, has vowed to protect the country's nuclear and missile capabilities and threatened the US military, saying their only place in the Persian Gulf is 'at the bottom of its waters'.
War Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine are returning to Capitol Hill to face questions from the Senate Armed Services Committee. The hearing follows a nearly six-hour House session where Hegseth clashed with lawmakers over the Iran conflict and the Pentagon's proposed $1.5 trillion budget for 2027. The budget plan emphasizes drones, missile defense, and warships. Democrats are expected to press Hegseth on the strategy behind the Iran conflict, which is currently under a fragile ceasefire. Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, has issued a statement vowing to protect the country's nuclear and missile capabilities and threatening the US military. The conflict has already cost around $25 billion, largely in munitions. Hegseth was also questioned over civilian casualties, including a strike on an Iranian elementary school that killed over 165 people.
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