On Tuesday, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) accused Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth of weakening civilian protection programs and said the policy changes have contributed to rising deaths in the ongoing Iran conflict.
Warren Blames Pentagon Policy
In a post on X, Warren wrote that Hegseth “gutted programs created to reduce civilian harm right after he took office,” arguing the decision had deadly consequences in wartime operations.
“Now, thousands of innocent people in Iran are dead from what could have been preventable tragedies,” Warren said.
She added, “Hegseth is dangerous. Congress must rein him in and end this war now.”
Defense Secretary Hegseth did not immediately respond to Benzinga’s request for comments.
Iran War Escalation
On Monday, Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) criticized the administration’s handling of the Iran war, saying it lacked strategy and increased costs for American households through rising fuel, food and inflation pressures tied to disrupted global energy routes.
Iranian strikes on U.S. military bases across the Gulf region caused an estimated $5 billion in damage, with multiple facilities in Kuwait, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Bahrain reportedly hit.
Lawmakers said they received limited details on the destruction, while additional sites in Qatar and Iraq were also believed to be affected.
Separately, Iran reportedly proposed reopening the Strait of Hormuz through Pakistani mediators in exchange for extending a ceasefire and delaying nuclear talks.
The U.S. said any agreement would need to protect American interests and prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, while diplomatic efforts stalled amid ongoing disagreements.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Photo courtesy: Joshua Sukoff on Shutterstock.com
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