Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) on Wednesday accused Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth of "blowing smoke" over his characterization of the U.S.-Israeli military operation against Iran, saying the country is worse off than when the conflict began.
Hegseth earlier Wednesday praised Operation Epic Fury as "a historic and overwhelming victory," telling reporters at the Pentagon that Iran's military had been "decimated" and would be "combat-ineffective for years to come." The Maryland Democrat responded sharply, accusing the defense secretary of attempting to deceive the American public.
What the Left Is Saying
Van Hollen, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, framed the operation as a failure that has made the United States less safe. He pointed to Iran's ability to control the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global shipping chokepoint, as evidence of the conflict's consequences.
"Pete Hegseth is, once again, blowing smoke, trying to deceive the American people," Van Hollen told CNN. "There's no doubt that we are worse off today than when Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu started this war."
The Maryland Democrat emphasized that Iran has established it can control the Strait of Hormuz, having closed it at the start of the conflict, reopened it after a ceasefire deal with the U.S. on Tuesday, and then closed it again Wednesday following Israeli strikes on Lebanon.
Van Hollen also highlighted that Iran is now "more radical, more extreme, more hard-line than the one before" and noted that Trump said the U.S. would be "working off Iran's 10-point plan going forward." He characterized the operation as a disaster costing "billions of dollars per day" and disrupting the American economy.
What the Right Is Saying
Hegseth defended the military operation as a definitive success. At a Pentagon briefing, he called Operation Epic Fury "a capital V military victory by any measure" and asserted that Iran’s military capabilities had been substantially degraded.
The Trump administration has maintained that the operation achieved its primary objectives. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, along with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, stated that a cessation of hostilities in Lebanon was not part of the ceasefire agreement reached with Iran.
The administration has pointed to the initial ceasefire deal reached Tuesday as evidence of diplomatic progress, though Iran indicated Wednesday it was backing off that agreement.
What the Numbers Show
The conflict has resulted in significant financial costs, with Van Hollen citing "billions of dollars per day" in military spending. The operation involved intensive airstrikes, with Israel carrying out strikes on approximately 100 sites in a 10-minute period on Wednesday.
The Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly 20% of global oil shipments pass, has been a central point of contention. Iran closed the strait at the conflict's outset, briefly reopened it following the Tuesday ceasefire agreement, and then closed it again Wednesday after Israeli strikes on Lebanon.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf stated that the ceasefire framework had been violated "even before the negotiations began," citing continued Israeli attacks on Lebanon as a reason for abandoning the deal.
The Bottom Line
The disagreement between Van Hollen and Hegseth reflects broader partisan divisions over the Iran military operation. The senator's criticism centers on what he characterizes as misleading victory claims, while the defense secretary maintains the operation achieved its military objectives.
The situation remains fluid as Iran has backed away from the ceasefire agreement and resumed restricting traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. The conflict's economic impact, through both military spending and energy market disruption, continues to draw scrutiny from lawmakers and analysts alike.