Pete Hegseth heckled by Iran War protestors at Senate hearing

Footage from the committee shows protestors speaking over the Secretary criticising his choice as head of the armed forces to continue bombing Iran, with the first dissenter saying: “This is against Iranian people [sic.]. 90 million people.” Adding that Hegseth has the blood of 17 Americans on his hands as well as thousands of Iranians.

Hegseth was in front of the Senate Appropriations Committee on July 21 to ask for supplemental funding for the Defense Department. His leadership in the costly war has been criticised after American bombs were linked to the destruction of a primary school in February which killed 148 people. Iranian retribution has killed 17 American soldiers and wounded 420 on bases in the region.

The former Fox News correspondent was interrupted a second time by a woman saying: “stop bombing our children in Iran and Palestine, this is illegal.” A third time by someone asking him to “end this war right now.” And, a fourth time by someone whose protests were indecipherable.

Read more: Trump threatens to attack Iran's underground nuclear site as US renews strikes

Read more: War in Iran has cost the United States more than $37 billion dollars

The hearing was overseen by Senator Susan Collins of Maine who appeared frustrated by the interruptions.

Collins, who is up for re-election in November, banged her gavel after the fourth interruption, saying: “I will ask that the Capitol Police, whose professionalism I admire, remove those who are seeking to disrupt the hearing.”

“This request [for funding] is an urgent, necessary, injection of resources to address the immediate needs of our department,” Hegseth told the Senate amid interruptions.

The Secretary’s request for “urgent” funding comes after the US brokered an initial ceasefire agreement with Iran in June. This has now ended following renewed US strikes on Iranian military and power sites.

The latest US strikes in Iran have been reported in five metropolitan areas including Tehran, which has a population of  approximately 9 million people, and the southern city of Bushehr, close to Iran’s only nuclear power site.

It is unclear how well prepared Iran’s nuclear power sites are for an aerial bombing attack. If the reactor’s cooling system is not well protected, an attack could lead to thousands having to evacuate, and an even more extreme climate event than the Chernobyl disaster, according to non-proliferation experts.

US Central Command has said the strikes are "designed to continue degrading Iran's ability to threaten commercial shipping" in the Strait of Hormuz, which has been their primary mode of defence and leverage.

Hegseth made these requests for additional funding a day after mediators in Dubai attempted to negotiate a new 10 day ceasefire.

President Donald Trump has also requested $1.5 trillion for the Defense Department. Hegseth says his request for funding is not a substitute for this.

The war in Iran has already cost the US $37.5 billion, according to the Pentagon. Secretary Hegseth told the Senate that these costs include projected costs through September. He did not explain how the Pentagon estimated this figure.

This spending comes after President Trump told the electorate in 2024 that he would not start any more foreign wars.