Capitol hearing
Hegseth is said to have deceived Trump about the Iran war
Updated on May 1, 2026 – 12:48 amReading time: 3 minutes
US Defense Secretary Hegseth is said to have exaggerated the course of the war. He also wants to extend an important deadline with a trick.
American Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who describes himself as Secretary of War, is said to have failed to give Donald Trump an accurate picture of the war against Iran and instead resorted to “dangerously exaggerated” statements. A senior Democrat said this at a hearing in the Capitol on Thursday.
“The problem with your statements, Minister, is that they are dangerously exaggerated,” Reed said. “Iran’s hardline regime remains in power. It continues to have stockpiles of enriched uranium and its nuclear program remains operational. “I fear that you have told the president what he wants to hear rather than what he needs to hear,” the Democrat said at the hearing.
Reed went on to say that all too often Hegseth made dangerous statements that ran counter to the goal he himself had emphasized. He literally declared that there should be “no stupid rules of engagement” – just a few days after hundreds of Iranian schoolgirls were tragically killed in a rocket attack. He also made disturbing statements about showing no mercy and no quarter to the Iranians – orders that would constitute war crimes.
Hegseth, on the other hand, apparently wants to continue the war against Iran without congressional approval – as long as he can. Actually, the MPs should be asked after 60 days whether a war can be continued.
This deadline expires in the next few days. But the former Fox presenter tries a trick. “We are currently in a ceasefire, which as we understand it means that the 60-day period (…) pauses or stops,” he told a Senate committee.
In recent weeks there have been several attempts by Democratic MPs to stop military operations against Iran. So far these attempts have been repelled by the Republicans.
But Republican unity began to crumble on Thursday when conservative Sen. Susan Collins of Maine joined Democrats in voting to end the conflict. This was the first time a Republican changed her stance on military operations in the Middle East.
