Pentagon’s Hegseth defends Iran war, says it is not a quagmire

(No change to text)

WASHINGTON, April 29 (Reuters) – U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth sought to defend the Iran war in fiery remarks to Congress on Wednesday, saying it was not a quagmire and attacking Democratic lawmakers as “feckless” for criticizing the unpopular conflict.

Hegseth was testifying before Congress for the first time ​since the U.S. and Israel launched a war against Iran on February 28 that has led to a surge in gasoline prices.

Trump’s popularity has taken a pounding since the conflict began and just 34% of Americans approve of the U.S. conflict with Iran, down from 36% in mid-April and 38% in mid-March, the Reuters/Ipsos poll ⁠found.

Democrats peppered Hegseth with questions about the open-ended conflict, with Rep. John Garamendi of California calling it a “quagmire” and “political and economic disaster at every level.”

Hegseth responded angrily.

“You call it a quagmire, handing propaganda to our enemies? Shame on you for that statement,” Hegseth said in response to Garamendi, and slammed “reckless, feckless, and defeatist” Congressional Democrats.

“Don’t say: ‘I support the troops on one hand, and then a two-month mission is a quagmire.’ … Who are you cheering for here? Who you pulling for?”  

(Reporting by Phil Stewart, Idrees Ali and Ismail Shakil; editing by Michelle Nichols)