Courtney Grills Hegseth on Iran War Cost to U.S. Consumers, Businesses and U.S. Military Readiness

April 29, 2026 Press Release WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Joe Courtney (CT-02), Ranking Member of the House Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee, grilled U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on rising energy costs caused by the war in Iran and the damage the war is causing to U.S. military readiness. In January, before the President launched the war in Iran, the Pentagon’s National Defense Strategy document listed China, Russia, and North Korea as the top three threats faced by the United States and described Iran’s regime as “weaker and more vulnerable than it has been in decades.” “The number of transits across the Strait of Hormuz has dropped to the lowest level since the war began, and commodity markets have stopped listening to the happy talk. And crude oil prices this morning have risen to the highest level since the war in Ukraine started in 2022. AAA reported this morning that the average price of gas is $4.30 a gallon, up $0.30 in one week,” Courtney said. “Today, we have three carrier strike forces in Central Command. INDOPACOM, which is where Russia and China are operating their navies, 52% of the globe, we have one carrier strike group in Japan, the George Washington. And the imbalance in terms of just what our commitments, and frankly, what our national defense strategy, I mean, is just blindingly obvious in terms of what this war is doing,” Courtney continued. ### Issues : Defense & National Security Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee