US lawmakers to grill Pentagon chief on Iran war

Published April 29, 2026 Updated April 29, 2026 01:20pm

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth will face tough questions from lawmakers about the Iran war during his first testimony to Congress since the start of the conflict, AFP reports.

Hegseth’s appearance before the House Armed Services Committee — for a hearing on President Donald Trump’s $1.5 trillion defence budget request — comes with the war still unresolved and the economic fallout from it continuing around the globe.

“Finally, Secretary Hegseth will come before the House Armed Services Committee this week. It is time to answer for this war of choice,” Representative Maggie Goodlander, a Democratic member of the committee, said in a post on X.

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