Ro Khanna Challenges Hegseth Over Iran War Costs

India-West News Desk

WASHINGTON, DC -Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) caught attention during the April 29 House Armed Services Committee hearing, delivering a blistering interrogation of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over the true financial and human cost of the ongoing war in Iran. The exchange, which has since gone viral, highlighted a deep divide between the Pentagon’s official figures and the economic reality facing American families.

Khanna’s primary line of questioning focused on a controversial U.S. strike in Minab, Iran, which reportedly struck a school. When Khanna demanded to know the exact cost of the operation to American taxpayers, Hegseth refused to provide a specific dollar amount, stating he would not “tie a cost to it.” The refusal prompted a sharp rebuke from Khanna, who used the moment to pivot to the broader economic impact of the conflict, now in its third month.

While Hegseth has officially cited a war cost of $25 billion, Khanna presented much more dire estimates. He cited data suggesting the war could drain $631 billion from the U.S. economy over the next year -a figure that translates to roughly $5,000 per American household.

“You don’t know what we paid in terms of the missiles that hit the Iranian school. You don’t know what we’re paying in terms of gas. You don’t know what we’re paying in terms of food,” Khanna told the Secretary. “Your $25 billion number is totally off.”

Throughout the hearing, Khanna emphasized that the administration’s accounting fails to include the secondary costs of the war, such as surging fuel prices and food inflation. When Hegseth attempted to defend the administration’s economic team, Khanna cut him off, arguing that the lack of transparency is a disservice to the public.