Washington, May 13 : Democratic senators warned that the Trump administration risked dragging the United States into another prolonged Middle East conflict, as a tense Senate hearing exposed deep divisions over the ongoing war with Iran and its rising economic and military costs.

During a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defence hearing on President Donald Trumpâ??s proposed $1.5 trillion defence budget, several Democratic lawmakers compared the current crisis to past US wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and questioned whether the administration had a clear long-term strategy.

Senator Chris Coons said the administration appeared focused on tactical battlefield gains without a broader political plan.

â??There used to be a consensus in national security, that America should only go to war when thereâ??s an imminent threat to our national security, when all other options have been exhausted, and when we have clear objectives and a plan for how it ends,â?? Coons said.

Coons repeatedly pressed Secretary of War Pete Hegseth over the administrationâ??s inability to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, where ongoing Iranian pressure on shipping has fuelled rising oil and fuel prices worldwide.

â??My concern, Mr Secretary, is that youâ??ve achieved a series of tactical successes but are on the verge of a strategic loss,â?? Coons said.

Senator Christopher Murphy also questioned whether the administration was underestimating Iranâ??s ability to endure prolonged economic and military pressure.

â??This is a high-risk strategy,â?? Murphy said, warning that Iran might withstand sanctions and military pressure for years while American families suffered from soaring fuel costs.

Murphy argued that â??time is not on our side hereâ?? as rising oil prices were already hurting US farmers and households.

Senator Patty Murray sharply criticised the scale of the Pentagon budget request and accused the administration of prioritising military spending over domestic needs.

â??Youâ??re spending familiesâ?? hard-earned tax dollars on a war that many strongly oppose,â?? Murray said. â??You want to increase the war budget for the next year by half a trillion dollars.â??

Murray quoted former President Dwight Eisenhowerâ??s famous warning about the costs of military expansion, saying the proposed defence budget would leave Americans â??cold and hungry to fund Trumpâ??s war.â??

Democrats also repeatedly challenged the administration over its legal authority for the conflict and whether Congress should formally authorise military operations against Iran.

Senator Lisa Murkowski questioned whether the administration should seek an Authorisation for Use of Military Force from Congress as fighting and military deployments continued across the region.

Hegseth defended the administrationâ??s actions throughout the hearing, arguing President Trump had succeeded where previous administrations failed.

â??We have more leverage than weâ??ve ever had,â?? Hegseth said while insisting the campaign was necessary to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.

The Iran conflict has already cost an estimated $29 billion, according to Pentagon officials, with lawmakers warning that the final financial burden could rise much higher as military operations continue and damage to US facilities across the Middle East becomes clearer.

The debate reflected growing concern in Washington that the conflict could evolve into a wider and longer confrontation at a time when the United States is already balancing tensions involving China, Russia and ongoing support for Ukraine.

/IANS