Secretary of War Pete Hegseth defended the Trump administration’s handling of the conflict with Iran on Capitol Hill Tuesday, insisting the United States maintains “control” over the Strait of Hormuz while lawmakers pressed him over the Pentagon’s proposed $1.5 trillion spending plan.
Appearing before House and Senate appropriators, Hegseth argued that the administration’s blockade strategy has put unprecedented pressure on Iran by effectively shutting down activity at Iranian ports.
“I don’t think enough has been stated about the blockade and the power of the blockade and the dilemma that our blockade creates for them,” Hegseth told senators.
“They can’t move anything out of Iranian ports,” he continued. “But ultimately we control the strait, because nothing’s going in that we don’t allow to go in.”
Democrats strongly challenged that assessment, pointing to the near-collapse of maritime traffic through the strategic chokepoint, where roughly one-fifth of the world’s seaborne oil supply once flowed annually.
Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) repeatedly pressed Hegseth over why the United States had not fully reopened commercial traffic if Washington truly controlled the waterway, warning the administration could be headed toward “a strategic loss.”
“So foolish,” Hegseth fired back. “We have more leverage than we’ve ever had. We’ve had incredible battlefield successes. And you’re talking about a strategic loss.”
Earlier in the day, President Donald Trump defended the strategy during a radio interview, arguing that the blockade is squeezing Iran economically and militarily.
“We don’t have to rush anything,” Trump said, later adding that the US would eventually secure Iran’s remaining nuclear material. “They’ll either do the right thing, or we’ll finish the job.”
During the hearings, Hegseth also refused to confirm reports claiming only 30% of Iran’s missile capabilities had been destroyed during the war, insisting classified operational details should not be discussed publicly.
The secretary additionally pushed back on concerns about America’s weapons stockpiles after months of sustained operations in the Middle East.
“I take issue with the characterization that munitions are depleted in a public forum,” Hegseth said. “That’s not true. We have all the munitions needed to execute what we need to execute.”
The testimony came as lawmakers scrutinized President Trump’s massive $1.5 trillion defense budget proposal.
The Pentagon’s plan includes a $1.15 trillion discretionary baseline paired with a separate $350 billion reconciliation package Republicans hope to pass through Congress without Democratic support.
Defense officials argued the additional funding would help modernize aging infrastructure, improve military housing and accelerate investments in artificial intelligence and autonomous systems.
Jules Hurst, the Pentagon’s acting chief financial officer, described the reconciliation package as a “one-time plus-up for catch-up” spending.
Still, skepticism emerged from both parties.
Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) warned that relying heavily on reconciliation funding could create long-term instability for defense priorities.
“This is not a $1.5 trillion defense appropriation request,” McConnell argued. “It’s a request for $1.1 trillion in base appropriations.”
Democrats meanwhile accused Republicans of attempting to sideline them by routing major Pentagon spending through the reconciliation process.
Despite the tense exchanges, Tuesday’s hearings remained noticeably calmer than Hegseth’s previous appearances before the Armed Services Committees, where confrontations with lawmakers became significantly more combative.
“We watched some of the other hearings,” Rep. Betty McCollum (D-Minn.) remarked. “This is the way hearings should be conducted.”
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