[Iran War Drags On, Hegseth Questioned Over Defense Spending Issues] Deep Tide TechFlow reports, on May 12, according to foreign media, U.S. lawmakers responsible for overseeing Pentagon expenditures pressed Defense Secretary Hegseth on Tuesday, questioning the rising costs of the Iran war. Rosa DeLauro, the highest-ranking Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, stated, 'Since the beginning of this war, the government has consistently lacked transparency.' She pointed out that costs are increasing daily, while the government's conflict strategy remains unclear, and hostile actions seem likely to erupt again at any moment. Minnesota Representative Betty McCollum, a senior Democrat on the Defense Subcommittee, noted that previous cost estimates for the war were $25 billion and demanded Pentagon senior officials 'dig deeper' for more details. McCollum also asked Hegseth whether he has plans to withdraw troops or relocate forces from the region if Congress does not authorize continued military action under the War Powers Act. 'If necessary, we have escalation plans; if necessary, we have withdrawal plans; if necessary, we have asset relocation plans,' Hegseth replied, adding that he did not want to disclose these details publicly. (Jin10)