Full Pete Hegseth testimony, questioning at Senate hearing: US may 'escalate' Iran war if necessary

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth testified during a Senate budget hearing that the Trump administration has a plan to escalate the war in Iran “if necessary” as the Pentagon raised the war’s overall cost to $29 billion nine weeks into the conflict.

Read more: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2026/05/12/iran-war-trump-ceasefire-updates–live/90034878007/