As defense secretary testified before the House, Trump posted AI-generated image of himself with a weapon and the caption: ‘NO MORE MR. NICE GUY’Sign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxPete Hegseth denied that the US-Israel war on Iran, which the Pentagon estimates has cost the US at least $25bn, is “a quagmire” and claimed critics of the operation posed a greater threat to the US than Iran itself.Hegseth came under pressure to set out Washington’s strategy for the conflict as heappeared before the House armed services committee on Wednesday for a marathon hearing alongside Gen Dan Caine, chair of the joint chiefs of staff. The US defense secretary asked lawmakers to approve a $1.5tn budget in military spending – and then described some of them as “the biggest challenge” to the war effort. Continue reading...