India, April 30 -- Pete Hegseth faced intense questioning during a congressional hearing as he defended the ongoing conflict with Iran and backed Donald Trump's approach. The hearing also focused on the Pentagon's record $1.5 trillion budget request for fiscal year 2027 and it quickly turned confrontational as lawmakers raised concerns about the war's purpose and effectiveness.

Hegseth lashed out at critics, calling them "reckless, feckless and defeatist," while praising Trump as the "best negotiator in the world." He said that the administration's actions were necessary to counter Iran's nuclear threat.

However, his earlier claim in the hearing that Iran's "nuclear facilities have been obliterated" drew immediate pushback from Deputy S...