Hegseth clashes with US senator over conduct of Iran war

Published April 30, 2026 Updated April 30, 2026 09:18pm

Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth has clashed with Democratic Senator Kirsten Gillibrand over the conduct of the war in Iran.

During a Senate hearing, the senator has grilled the war secretary over the lack of popular support for the war and the fact that it was not authorised by Congress.

“They have so many grave concerns over how this war is being prosecuted,” says Gillibrand, referring to the American public. “Why do you continue to prosecute a war the American people aren’t behind?”

Hegseth has replied by asking, “What is the cost of a nuclear-armed Iran?”

Opinion

Editorial

UAE’s Opec exit
Updated 30 Apr, 2026

UAE’s Opec exit

THE UAE’s exit from Opec is another sign of the major geopolitical shifts that are reshaping the global order. One...
Uncertain recovery
30 Apr, 2026

Uncertain recovery

PAKISTAN’S growth projections for the current fiscal present a cautiously hopeful picture, though geopolitical...
Police ‘encounters’
30 Apr, 2026

Police ‘encounters’

THE killing of nine suspects by Punjab’s Crime Control Department across Lahore, Sahiwal and Toba Tek Singh ...
Growth to stability
Updated 29 Apr, 2026

Growth to stability

THE State Bank’s decision to raise its key policy rate by 100 basis points to 11.5pc signals a shift in priorities...
Constitutional order
29 Apr, 2026

Constitutional order

FOLLOWING the passage of the 26th and 27th Amendments, in 2024 and 2025 respectively, jurists and members of the...
Protecting childhood
29 Apr, 2026

Protecting childhood

AN important victory for child protection was secured on Monday with the Punjab Assembly’s passage of the Child...