Image source, AARON SCHWARTZ/POOL/EPA/Shutterstock

With the hearing ongoing, Trump - who is not present at the hearing - has taken to his social media site to make a point about the war against Iran.

Trump's post on Truth Social lists recent US wars and how long they took to end and how many US soldiers died.

His post in its entirety says:

"Afghanistan War: 20 years, 2,000 DEAD.

Iraq War: 9 years, 4,600 DEAD.

Vietnam War: 19 years and 5 months, 58,220 DEAD.

Korean War: 3 years and 1 month, 36,574 DEAD.

Venezuela War: 1 day, 0 DEAD.

Iran Military Conflict: 4 months, 18 DEAD."

Before the question on the costs of the Iran war that we brought you in our previous post, it was the turn of the most senior Democrat on the committee, Patty Murray, to ask questions.

She says the funding request "does not make a lot of sense" and asks why the money is needed.

Murray says this request has been sold as an emergency request for funds, but accuses the administration of attempting to "skirt the normal appropriations process".

She says it includes $800m (£598m) for the National Guard to patrol Washington DC, more than $1 billion (£750m) for the Army to patrol the US's southern border, and $900m (£672m) to support "illegal boat strikes in the Caribbean".

Hegseth replies, saying the "gross negligence" of the Biden administration means the department is having to "re-establish deterrence".

Murray interjects, asking how the administration can claim to have destroyed Iran's capabilities when they are currently firing missiles at US assets.

Hegseth says the amount of damage the US military has inflicted has left Iran "in the worst place they have ever been".

He adds they have destroyed some of Iran's capabilities, but the regime has also hidden some underground.

"That's what terror regimes would do, so I will acknowledge they still have capabilities, no doubt," he says.

Hegseth is asked by Democratic Senator Dick Durbin if he has an estimate for how much the war in Iran has cost so far.

Hegseth says that it has cost about $37.5bn (£28bn).

The figure had not previously been announced by Pentagon officials.

Senator Collins, as the committee's chairwoman, begins questioning Hegseth over what the impact would be if the budget needs were not met.

Hegseth says current and future training for military members would need to be curtailed without funds.

He again blames the previous Biden administration, saying it didn't fund the military to the appropriate levels, gave away weapons to Ukraine, and delayed important maintenance.

If approved, the funding will be a "generational investment" that will make sure the US avoids "playing catch-up" and keeping the US military ahead of others.

Next up is Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins.

She’s not here to talk about the war, but to ask for funding for US farmers.

• As a reminder, a small part of the funding under scrutiny today is for other measures, including $11bn for agriculture

But she starts by saying her department is joining today with the US Department of War "in a fight for America".

"After all, defending America's ability to feed and fuel and clothe herself is defending America full stop," she adds.

Image source, Reuters

After Hegseth finished his testimony, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair Gen Dan Caine says "the character of war is changing" and that this means the country needs to arm the US military.

He says advances in AI have delivered technical advantages but also strategic vulnerabilities.

The modern battlefield stretches from the seabed to cyberspace "at the same time" and "we must be prepared to fight across all of them", Caine says.

The armed forces are America's "greatest insurance policy", he adds.

Secretary Hegseth says every dollar appropriated will be used to build the "lethality" of the US military force and will "reinforce peace through strength".

He says the previous Biden administration had left the country with a "disaster" in budget management, and the "war fighters" need the money to keep the country safe.

Image source, Reuters

Hegseth goes on to say the funding request is coming at an urgent time.

He says "we have to prepare for war" in order to maintain peace.

Hegseth says critical investments need to be made to prevent adversaries from outpacing the US.

"Without these funds, we face critical shortfalls that threaten our ability to also simply pay our service members, rapidly replenish equipment and munitions, and sustain vital operations without disruption," he adds.

Image source, Getty Images

Hegseth begins his testimony by saying "we live in a dangerous world" and it requires bold and swift action.

But he’s quickly interrupted by people shouting from the crowd, who protest against the war in Iran.

Chairwoman Collins pauses the hearing and tries to resume proceedings, but to no avail.

She then bangs her gavel and calls for order in the room, urging the Capitol Police to remove the protesters disrupting the hearing.

Hegseth then continues.

Image source, Reuters

As we’ve mentioned earlier, the committee is hearing requests for additional funding not just for the US military but for farmers as well.

We’ve just heard from Republican South Dakota Senator Mike Rounds, who says national security and food security go hand in hand.

He says the Trump administration’s funding requests come at a "critical time" for farmers as fertiliser and fuel prices surge as a result of the war, before urging the committee to support the White House’s request.

"Protecting America's food supply, energy supply, and national defence are not separate priorities," he says. "They reinforce one another."

Image source, Reuters

Vice chairperson Patty Murray is up next.

The Democrat starts by calling the US military one of "the greatest meritocracies in the free world" and says "we need to make sure it stays that way".

She criticises the Trump administration for going to war with Iran without congressional approval, saying the president "started a war of his own choosing".

Trump did not make a case to the American people and the cost has been "catastrophic", she says, acknowledging the deaths of 17 US service members in battle.

"We owe all of them and their families a debt of gratitude we can never repay," Murray says.

Image source, Reuters

Senate Appropriations Committee chairperson Susan Collins opened the hearing by saying the supplemental funding being requested by the Department of Defense is "critical" to protecting US's national security.

The Republican representative from Maine says there are "divergent views" on the committee over the war on Iran, but says the "fact remains" that there are "must pay bills and urgent requirements" facing the department.

She says the funds are required to "deter and defend against potential aggressors worldwide".

Collins says some requirements, such as munitions shortfalls, have been "well known" to the committee for some time, and that before Iran there was bipartisan support to address them.

"Congress has the responsibility to ensure that [US service personnel have] the tools, the training and the support they need to accomplish their missions," she says.

Lawmakers on the Senate Appropriations Committee have begun their hearing.

Facing questions are Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine, and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins.

You can watch live at the top of this page - and we’ll also bring you the key points here as text updates.

• As a reminder, a small part of the funding under scrutiny today is for other measures, including $11bn for US farmers

Image source, Reuters

Hegseth’s appearance before the committee comes at a pivotal time in the war.

The US has renewed strikes for a 10th consecutive day, and Iran has retaliated with strikes of its own against the US and its allies in the Middle East.

The Defence Secretary’s handling of the war will undoubtedly be scrutinised by senators, especially after US military officials announced that three US service members had been killed in Jordan and Iraq in recent days.

Hegseth and the other Trump administration officials present will also be asked to justify the billions of dollars that the Trump administration is seeking from Congress for the war, which has lasted longer than initially projected.

There’s been no official government estimate of the financial cost of the war since 12 May, when a senior Pentagon official put the figure at $29bn (£21.7bn).

The Pentagon had previously told lawmakers the war cost the US $11.3bn in the first week alone. Iran and the US had short ceasefires, but hostilities have resumed and the US launched new strikes this week.

The White House budget office letter notes that the Pentagon needs to "rebuild stocks" from its military strikes. Hegseth is expected to face questions from lawmakers today for more information on how much has been spent in the conflict.

Image source, US Central Command

Image source, US Central Command / X

The US military has been launching strikes against Iran, which the US says are aimed at degrading Iran's capabilities to attack ships in the Strait of Hormuz.

The latest attack is the 10th consecutive night of strikes. It took place after US President Donald Trump vowed to punish Iran for the deaths of three US soldiers in the region.

In response, Iran said it struck two oil tankers in the vital shipping lane, as well as US military assets in Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan, state news agency IRNA reported.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency (UKMTO) said a tanker in the Strait of Hormuz had reported being struck by an unknown projectile, forcing its crew to abandon the vessel and board a lifeboat.

Read more of our coverage on the latest in the war here.

The White House has asked lawmakers to approve $87.6bn (£66.5bn), mostly for "urgent needs" connected with the US war with Iran.

The bulk of the funding - $67bn - is for the US Defense Department, the White House said. But the proposal faces an uphill battle in Congress.

The Iran conflict is unpopular with voters - and many US lawmakers are facing midterm elections in November.

The request includes $21bn for munitions, $17.3bn for operational costs and $12.1bn for classified programmes.

It also asks for about $300m to bolster security at US embassies and diplomatic outposts in the Middle East and South Asia, after some of them came under attack earlier in the war.

The remaining requested money would be for other measures, including $11bn for US farmers and $1.4bn to tackle the Ebola outbreak in Central Africa.

Read more: Trump asks Congress for billions for Iran war

Image source, EPA

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth will soon face questions from lawmakers as he tries to justify the White House’s request for billions more dollars to fund the Iran war.

Hegseth, alongside top US military official Dan Caine, will testify to the Senate Appropriations Committee today about the Trump administration’s request for an additional $87.6bn (£66.5bn), mainly for defence spending.

Both Hegseth and Caine have faced criticism from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle over the Trump administration’s handling of the war.

But at previous budget hearings, the two officials have told Congress that funding is an essential investment in future security.

We don’t often hear from Caine or Hegseth in a formal setting, so we’ll be listening to their answers and bringing you the latest.