Amna Nawaz
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WATCH: Sen. Van Hollen asks Secretary Hegseth what winning the war with Iran looks like
Posted
July 21, 2026
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July 21, 2026
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1:42Now PlayingSen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., asked Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth how he would “define winning” the U.S. war with Iran.
“When most people think of winning the war, they think that that means the war is going to come to an end because we've won,” Van Hollen said.
He cited President Donald Trump’s comment in March that “we’ve won this war.”
Hegseth said the “overarching objective … is ensuring Iran never has a nuclear weapon.”
Van Hollen pushed back quoting Hegseth’s comments in 2025 that Operation Midnight Hammer had “obliterated Iran’s ability to create nuclear weapons.”
“Clearly that is not the case based on your testimony today,” Van Hollen said.
He added that former Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard testified in March that there had been “no efforts” by Iran to rebuild its uranium enrichment capabilities following Operation Midnight Hammer.
Van Hollen said the U.S. needs to enforce Iran’s commitment not to develop a nuclear weapon which “is a commitment they've made for many years.” He added that’s what the U.S. was already doing under the Obama-era Iran deal.
Hegseth’s appearance before Senate lawmakers comes after the U.S. rolled out its 10th consecutive night of strikes against Iran. At least three American service members have been killed in recent days. As war between the two nations intensifies, the Strait of Hormuz remains closed, forcing U.S. gas prices to jump again.
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