The Trump administration is failing to explain how the U.S. is coming out on top in the Iran war.Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth appeared before the House Armed Services Committee on Wednesday to defend the DOD’s latest budget requests, but he came up incredibly short in providing examples showcasing America’s accomplishments in the current Middle East conflict.“How much has Iran profited from your administration lifting the sanctions on Iran when you started this war?” asked Massachusetts Representative Seth Moulton.“I can tell you that Iran is financially devastated,” said Hegseth.That’s partially true. The war has forced more than a million Iranians out of work, devastated the country’s infrastructure, and tanked the value of Iran’s currency. In response, the authoritarian regime running Tehran has raised wages, subsidized basic goods, and provided cash supplements to the poor, leveraging the government’s relative wealth to resist Washington’s pressure campaign.But weeks into the war, Donald Trump opted to temporarily lift sanctions on 140 million barrels of Iranian oil that were sitting at sea. In doing so, he gave the country a $14 billion windfall that has since bolstered the regime.“They’ve earned about $14 billion,” Moulton said, citing the figure, though he was cut off by Hegseth.“They’re at a point where, between the blockade and what we’ve done to them militarily, remember they don’t have a Navy so they can’t contest the blockade,” Hegseth said, adding that Tehran has “very few options.”“OK,” Moulton continued. “How many Chinese missiles can they buy with $14 billion? Does that sound like winning?”“Um, they’re not—we’re ensuring that they’re not buying Chinese missiles,” Hegseth said, lowering his voice.MOULTON: How much has Iran profited from your administration lifting the sanctions?HEGSETH: Iran is financially devastated right nowMOULTON: They've earned about $14 billion. Does that sound like winning? pic.twitter.com/3UDrFTivBd— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 29, 2026Hegseth tripped over his words in another exchange with Ranking Member Adam Smith, flubbing the Trump administration’s narrative by suggesting that U.S. officials had lied to the public last year when they claimed Iran’s nuclear facilities were completely destroyed during Operation Midnight Hammer.“Their nuclear facilities have been obliterated, underground—” Hegseth started.“Woah, woah, woah, woah,” said Smith. “You just said we had to start this war, you just said, 60 days ago because the nuclear weapon was an imminent threat. Now you’re saying that it was completely obliterated?”“They had not given up their nuclear ambitions,” responded Hegseth.“So Operation Midnight Hammer accomplished nothing of substance and left us at exactly the same place that we were before,” interpreted Smith. “So much so that we had to start a war.”