Pete Hegseth defends ongoing war in Iran and requests $88bn more to pay for it during Senate committee testimony – live

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth went before a Senate committee to defend the ongoing war in Iran and to ask for eighty-eight billion dollars in additional funding, which he said was needed to sustain vital operations without disruption. The Guardian reports that protesters were removed from the room as his testimony began. The hearing comes as the conflict registers at American gas pumps: the American Automobile Association puts a gallon of fuel at just over four dollars, nearly a dollar more than a year ago, while Brent Crude, the international oil benchmark, has climbed almost two percent to ninety point nine two dollars a barrel.

Listen to this story

Hear this and more stories in a personalized audio briefing.

Open The Chonkerton