Hegseth testifies on Iran war before Senate committee: Key takeaways

United States Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Cain person faced nationalist questioning for the 2nd day, this clip successful beforehand of the Senate Armed Forces Committee.

The proceeding connected Thursday came a time aft Hegseth and Caine appeared earlier a House committee, the archetypal clip the brace had faced nationalist questioning from lawmakers since the US and Israel launched attacks connected Iran connected February 28.

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In astatine times bellicose language, Hegseth repeatedly decried critics of the war, including lawmakers, accusing them of “fecklessly” aiding US enemies.

On Thursday, helium again delivered a defence of the war, which Pentagon officials revealed yesterday had truthful acold outgo the US at least $25bn, portion giving small clarity connected adjacent steps amid a tentative intermission successful warring and stalled talks with Iran.

Here were the cardinal moments.

Hegseth says US stockpiles ‘in bully shape’

Batting distant a cardinal disapproval of the war, Hegseth maintained that the US munitions stockpile remained “in bully shape”.

That comes amid a bid of reports that bespeak it whitethorn not beryllium the case. Some lawmakers person charged that depleted munitions person perchance near the US susceptible successful different theatres.

The New York Times past week reported that the fig of costly long-range stealth and Patriot interceptor missiles the US has truthful acold utilized successful the warfare has forced the subject to surge weapons and hardware from different regions.

Yesterday, Pentagon officials told lawmakers that the US had spent $25bn since the warfare began, but were unclear connected whether that included harm to US assets successful the Middle East.

Caine says Russia has assisted Iran successful the war

The apical US wide made a glancing admittance that Russia had assisted Iran successful the existent war, but gave fewer details.

“There’s decidedly immoderate enactment there,” helium said, suggesting helium could not uncover much accusation successful the nationalist setting.

Russia and Iran person agelong traded weapons, and Moscow has offered governmental enactment to Tehran during the war. However, determination person been fewer details of much factual enactment passim the conflict.

Earlier this week, Russian President Vladimir Putin again voiced enactment for Iran during a meeting successful St Petersburg with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi.

Hegseth claims War Powers deadline ‘pause’

Friday marks 60 days since Trump officially notified Congress of US attacks connected Iran. Under the 1973 War Powers Act, the president is legally required to halt the cognition oregon person legislature support to continue.

But connected Thursday, Hegseth offered a caller mentation of law, saying the “60-day timepiece pauses, oregon stops” during a intermission successful fighting. The US and Iran person mostly paused attacks since April 8 up of ceasefire talks, which person since stalled.

The US has since continued its naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, with Trump repeatedly threatening to renew attacks.

The connection of the War Powers Act does not explicitly constituent to the 60-day timeline changing owed to a intermission successful fighting.

Responding to Hegseth’s statement, Senator Tim Kaine, a Democrat, was wary.

“I don’t judge the statute would enactment that,” helium said.

Rollbacks to civilian oversight questioned

Prior to launching the US-Israel warfare with Iran, the Pentagon had already reportedly moved to rotation backmost immoderate offices progressive with oversight of civilian harm successful conflict.

That included staffing drains astatine the Civilian Protection Center of Excellence, which was meant to measure and glean lessons from the precocious civilian decease toll during the US “global warfare connected terror”.

Questions person further been raised implicit reported civilian deaths successful Iran, including a US strike connected a girls’ schoolhouse successful Minab.

On Thursday, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand asked Hegseth, “What is your effect to targeting that has resulted successful the demolition of schools, hospitals, civilian places? Why did you chopped by 90 percent the part that’s expected to assistance you not people civilians?”

Republican Mike Rounds besides followed the enactment of questioning, asking if the Pentagon inactive has the resources to support civilians.

Hegseth maintained the section inactive has “every assets necessary” to bash so.

Democrat asks if Hegseth telling Trump ‘what helium wants to hear’

Some of the harshest questioning came from Senator Jack Reed, the apical Democrat connected the committee.

Hegseth has reportedly been 1 of the staunchest supporters of the warfare down the scenes, which Reed said raised questions implicit the counsel helium was giving the president.

“I americium acrophobic that you person been telling the president what helium wants to hear, alternatively of what helium needs to hear,” Reed said astatine 1 point.

In different instance, Reed said helium believed Hegseth was “causing lasting harm to the military”.

Hegseth, meanwhile, again took purpose astatine lawmakers, peculiarly Democrats, who person questioned the warfare and its aims.

“As I said yesterday, and I’ll accidental it again today, the biggest adversary we look astatine this constituent are the reckless naysayers and defeatist words of legislature Democrats and immoderate Republicans,” Hegseth said successful his opening statement.