WATCH LIVE: Pete Hegseth, Dan Caine Testify Over The Iran War and Top Army Officials' Firings | N18G

Why It Matters

The outcome will determine whether the U.S. can sustain a modern, credible deterrent against a coordinated authoritarian bloc while balancing fiscal responsibility and congressional oversight.

Key Takeaways

• Trump administration pushes $1.5 trillion FY2027 defense budget, 45% increase.
• Committee split: Hegseth defends Iran war; Reed criticizes strategy.
• Claims of “victory” in Iran conflict disputed; casualties persist.
• Emphasis on rebuilding defense industrial base and innovation.
• Concerns over leadership decisions, firings, and non‑military policies.

Summary

The Senate Armed Services Committee held a public hearing where Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman General Dan Cain testified on the ongoing Iran conflict and the administration’s request for a $1.5 trillion FY2027 defense budget.

Hegseth framed the war as part of a broader “competition” with China, Russia, Iran and North Korea, touting recent acquisition reforms, a push for drone and missile‑defense capabilities, and a 45 percent budget increase to rebuild the defense industrial base. Ranking Member Jack Reed countered that the Iran operation lacks a coherent strategy, has already cost $25 billion, resulted in 14 deaths and over 400 wounded, and that the budget cuts research, Ukraine aid and civilian pay.

Reed quoted Hegseth’s claim that “Operation Epic Fury” was a historic victory, calling it “dangerously exaggerated” and highlighting continued Iranian nuclear capacity and missile threats. He also cited the secretary’s controversial actions—firing senior officers, altering chaplain and vaccine policies, and staging a publicity flight with Kid Rock—as evidence of leadership instability.

The hearing underscores a partisan clash over how the United States should fund and conduct its military amid multiple great‑power challenges. Approval of the trillion‑plus budget will shape America’s ability to modernize its forces, but congressional scrutiny may force revisions that affect readiness, industrial competition, and the credibility of U.S. deterrence.

Original Description

WATCH LIVE: Pete Hegseth, Dan Caine Testify Over The Iran War and Top Army Officials' Firings | CNBC TV18

WASHINGTON DC - Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Joints Chiefs of Staff Chairman Dan Caine testify before the Senate Armed Services Committee as the Iran war passes the 60-day mark.

Watch live as U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, appear before the Senate Armed Services Committee on the Pentagon’s budget request. The hearing comes a day after similar testimony in the House.

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth will give his first public testimony in the Senate since the start of the Iran war in a hearing that will expose the divide across the aisle in the upper chamber.

The hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Thursday morning is meant to discuss the Pentagon’s staggering $1.5 trillion budget request for the upcoming fiscal year. Instead, it is expected to become a public back-and-forth on the war and the administration’s objectives.

Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., who chairs the committee, and Republicans on the panel are expected to push Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan "Raizin" Caine on turning that colossal budget request inward to rebuild military manufacturing stateside.

#petehegseth #DANCAINE #usiranwar #pentagon #livenews #usatoday #senatehearing #cnbctv18

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