U.S. Hegseth Says US-Iran Ceasefire Active

(MENAFN) US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth declared Tuesday that a ceasefire between Washington and Tehran remains in force, even as congressional lawmakers demanded proof of a formal, documented agreement underpinning the truce.

Hegseth made the remarks while testifying alongside Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair Gen. Dan Caine before a House Appropriations subcommittee scrutinizing the Trump administration's proposed 2027 defense budget and the trajectory of US military engagement with Iran.

The hearing's most combative exchange erupted when Rep. Pete Aguilar pressed Hegseth on testimony he delivered last month, in which the Pentagon chief argued the ceasefire had effectively paused the 60-day countdown under the War Powers Resolution.

"Who were the parties to the ceasefire?" Aguilar asked.

"Well, right now we are in that same ceasefire, as of right now," Hegseth replied.

Aguilar cut him off: "That wasn't the question. Who are the parties to the ceasefire?"

"That would be the United States and the regime in Iran," Hegseth responded.

The California Democrat then pressed for documentation, demanding specifics on the agreement's structure.

"How many pages is the ceasefire? What deal points? How do we know that the ceasefire is active or not active without any documentation?" Aguilar asked.

"We know," Hegseth said. "It's evident, and the ceasefire is in effect."

Aguilar continued to push back, questioning whether lawmakers were simply being asked to take the administration at its word.

"You just trust that the president (Donald Trump) knows that the ceasefire is active or not inactive?" Aguilar asked.

"As you know, for the most part, a ceasefire means the fire is ceasing, and we know that has occurred while negotiations occur," Hegseth replied.

'Munitions issue has been foolishly and unhealthily overstated'

The US and Israel launched coordinated strikes against Iran on Feb. 28, prompting Tehran to retaliate against Israel and US Gulf allies while simultaneously shutting the Strait of Hormuz. A ceasefire brokered through Pakistani mediation took hold on April 8, though subsequent talks in Islamabad failed to yield a durable settlement. President Trump later extended the truce without imposing a fixed deadline.

Earlier in the session, Hegseth mounted a robust defense of the administration's military posture and its proposed $1.5 trillion defense budget, framing it in sweeping terms.

"We are rebuilding a military that the American people can be proud of," Hegseth said. "One that instills nothing less than the unrelenting fear in our adversaries and confidence in our allies. We fight to win in every scenario."

He characterized the budget as "a fiscally responsible budget" and "a war-fighting budget."

When committee chairman Rep. Ken Calvert raised concerns over munitions stockpiles and replenishment costs tied to ongoing operations, Hegseth dismissed the alarm.

"The munitions issue has been foolishly and unhealthily overstated," said Hegseth. "We know exactly what we have. We have plenty of what we need."

Rep. Betty McCollum later pressed the defense secretary on whether the Pentagon had contingency plans should the fragile ceasefire unravel.

"We have a plan for all of that," said Hegseth. "We have a plan to escalate if necessary. We have a plan to retrograde if necessary. We have a plan to shift assets."

Hegseth declined to elaborate publicly on operational specifics, citing mission sensitivity and the administration's overriding objective "to ensure that Iran never has a nuclear bomb."

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