Democratic senator says Hegseth trying to hide costs of Iran war from US public

Key Points:

• Senator Chris Murphy reported that the Pentagon denied him access to the major US base in Qatar, Al Udeid, despite his advance requests and coordination with military leadership.
• Murphy described extensive damage to the US embassy in Riyadh from Iranian drone strikes, stating the destruction was far worse than publicly acknowledged and would have caused many American casualties if the attack had occurred during the day.
• The senator observed significant disruptions at Qatar’s Ras Laffan gas complex, with LNG exports down by 17% and limited tanker activity, likely due to Iranian drone strikes impacting production.
• Murphy accused the Pentagon and Secretary Pete Hegseth of deliberately restricting congressional oversight of the war’s costs and consequences, vowing to push legislation to ensure lawmakers have access to overseas military bases.
• He emphasized the need for Congress to prioritize ending the conflict, warning that Democrats may withhold defense funding and pursue accountability if they gain control of one or both chambers after the midterm elections.