Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) pointed out to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that the U.S. had “not won this war” with Iran despite the rhetoric coming from President Donald Trump’s administration.
During a Tuesday Senate Appropriations Committee hearing on the war, Shaheen pointed to reports that Iran was receiving intelligence from Russia.
“Russia is making $4 billion from oil sanctions relief because we’ve loosened those sanctions,” she explained. “As has been testified to. An Iranian Shahed drone costs about 35,000. That’s enough money for hundreds of thousands of drones supporting Russia’s war in Ukraine and billions for Iran to reconstitute its industrial base.”
“Senator, we know Russia is a nefarious actor on a lot of levels and account for that,” Hegseth insisted.
“All evidence to the contrary!” Shaheen interrupted. “We’re not accounting for that if we’re giving Russia the opportunity to earn $4 billion a month, $20 billion by the end of the year if we leave those sanctions lifted for that time during which they can continue to fund Iran.”
“The destruction of Iran’s defense industrial base has been clear and overwhelming,” the defense secretary argued.
“What we see is Iran still producing drones,” the senator observed. “They’re still engaged in this conflict. We have not won this war despite the rhetoric.”
“If Iran still has almost 50% of their missile capacity and the ability to pull drones,” she added, “and still injure our allies and U.S. service members, then we have not won the war.”
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