WASHINGTON, April 30 -- US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth sought to defend the Iran war in fiery remarks to Congress on Wednesday, saying it was not a quagmire and attacking Democratic lawmakers as "feckless" for criticising the unpopular conflict. Hegseth testified before Congress for the first time since the US and Israel launched a war against Iran on February 28 that has led to a surge in gasoline prices. Trump's popularity has taken a pounding since the conflict began and just 34% of Americans approve of the US conflict with Iran, down from 36% in mid-April and 38% in mid-March, the Reuters/Ipsos poll found. Democrats peppered Hegseth with questions about the open-ended conflict, with Rep. John Garamendi of California calling it a "qua...