Pentagon says Iran war costs $25b so far, 6 crew members of seized Iranian ship freed

Hurst added that most of those costs were from munitions and included operations, maintenance and equipment replacements. According to previous media reports, Pentagon officials told lawmakers in a closed-door briefing on March 11 that the Trump administration spent more than 11.3 billion dollars in the first six days of its war against Iran. Hegseth's attendance at the hours-long hearing marks his first public questioning since the United States launched military strikes against Iran. During the hearing, most Republicans expressed support for President Donald Trump's decision to carry out military action against Iran, while Democrats engaged in heated exchanges with Hegseth over the war's strategy, objectives and consequences. In response to a series of sharp questions from Democrats regarding the rapidly escalating costs of the Iran war, significant reductions in key munitions stockpiles, and the impact of the conflict on U.S. citizens' cost of living, Hegseth dismissed criticism of the war as political. The defense secretary also refused to answer questions about how long the conflict might last or how much it would ultimately cost. He further defended the Pentagon's proposed record-high defense budget of 1.5 trillion dollars for fiscal year 2027. (This) budget will ensure the United States continues to maintain the world's most powerful and capable military, as we grapple with a complex threat environment across multiple theaters, Hegseth said. Meanwhile, six of the 28 crew members of the Iranian container ship Touska, seized earlier this month by the United States, have been released and have returned to Iran, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported on Wednesday, said Xinhua. Efforts are underway to secure the release of the remaining crew, whom Iran describes as hostages of the terrorist U.S. government, Tasnim said. The Iranian-flagged vessel was boarded and seized by U.S. forces off the coast of Iran's southeastern Chabahar port in the Gulf of Oman on April 19. Iran condemned the seizure as a flagrant act of piracy. The country's main military command, Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, explained that armed forces did not intervene at the time because the crew members' families were on board. The United States has imposed a blockade on the Strait of Hormuz, preventing ships to and from Iranian ports from transiting. The blockade came into effect after Iran-U.S. negotiations in Pakistan's capital Islamabad on April 11 and 12 failed to lead to an agreement. The talks came after a ceasefire on April 8 between Iran, the United States, and Israel halted 40 days of fighting. Iranians pledge allegiance to new Supreme Leader at mass rallies Tens of thousands of Iranians took to the streets on Wednesday in mass rallies across the country to pledge allegiance to Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei and demonstrate national unity. The rallies, held concurrently in different cities on the birthday anniversary of the eighth Imam of Shiite Muslims Imam Reza, ran from 16:00 local time (1230 GMT) to 21:00. In the capital Tehran, people marched from Imam Hossein Square to Azadi Square, waving Iranian flags and holding pictures of the late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who was killed in a U.S. and Israeli attack in late February, and the new leader. Several officials, including Tehran Mayor Alireza Zakani and Iran's Constitutional Council spokesman Hadi Tahan Naizf, joined the crowd. The participants chanted slogans against the United States and Israel and in support of Iran's Islamic establishment, and highlighted the necessity to maintain national unity. A pavilion was set up along the route to commemorate those killed in a U.S. and Israeli attack on a school in the southern Iranian city of Minab on the first day of the 40-day war against Iran. Iran's homegrown Kheibarshekan missile and Shahed 136 drone were also displayed during the rally in Tehran. On Feb. 28, Israel and the United States launched joint attacks on Tehran and other Iranian cities, killing Iran's then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, senior commanders, and civilians. Iran responded with waves of missile and drone strikes targeting Israel and U.S. assets in the Middle East. A ceasefire was achieved between the warring parties on April 8.