Senator Murphy accuses Pentagon of hiding Iran war costs

Senator Chris Murphy accused Pentagon Secretary Pete Hegseth of deliberately concealing the true costs and consequences of the war with Iran from the American public. Murphy, a Democrat from Connecticut and a member of the Senate foreign relations and appropriations committees, made these accusations following his return from visits to Qatar and Saudi Arabia.

Murphy described the damage to the US embassy in Riyadh from an Iranian drone strike on March 3 as "extraordinary" and far more severe than publicly acknowledged. He stated that had the attack occurred during daylight hours, "many, many Americans" would have been killed. The senator noted that the strike hit an area with many people and caused extensive damage across several floors, rendering parts of the embassy uninhabitable and likely to remain so, with some sections not to be repaired due to an impending move.

In Qatar, Murphy visited the Ras Laffan gas complex, where he observed that Iranian drone strikes had halted liquefied natural gas (LNG) production. He reported that 17% of Qatar's LNG exports had been eliminated, with repairs likely to take at least three years. Murphy also noted a significant reduction in LNG tanker activity, seeing only one tanker in port compared to the usual six, and about one leaving daily instead of ten.

Murphy claimed that the Pentagon blocked his access to Al Udeid air base in Qatar, the largest US military installation in the region, despite providing advance notice and submitting a written request. He stated that Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of US Central Command, seemed surprised by this restriction. A senior Pentagon official, however, told The Guardian that Murphy's office was informed prior to his trip that he would not receive departmental support for access to the base, citing a March 3 directive from Secretary Hegseth on travel restrictions.

In response to these restrictions, Murphy announced plans to draft language requiring the Pentagon to grant members of Congress access to overseas bases, which he intends to include in upcoming appropriations and defense authorization bills. He also suggested withholding defense funding if the war is ongoing by early next year, unless a provision to end the conflict is included, and vowed to pursue accountability and investigations if Democrats win control of Congress in the upcoming midterm elections.