KINGSTON, N.Y. — U.S. Rep. Pat Ryan blasted the Iran War as a “total fiasco” and escalated his call for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to be fired on Friday, six months after the start of the conflict.
Ryan, D-Gardiner, who represents the 19th Congressional District, said in a Friday statement that the Iran war needs to end immediately.
Ryan is an Iraq War veteran and a member of the House Armed Services Committee.
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“From Day 1 of this reckless war in Iran, Trump and Hegseth have lied to and betrayed the American people on every level,” Ryan said. “They lied about the timeline, lied about the cost, and left hardworking Americans to foot the bill for a war they never wanted in the first place.”
Ryan added, “18 brave American Patriots have died because of their utter incompetence, and hundreds more have been injured while their families are left in the dark. The entire war has been a total fiasco – and instead of ending it, the chickenhawk President and unfit SecDef are doubling down on a losing strategy. I’m going to keep fighting everyday, with every fiber of my being, to end this war, bring our troops home, and hold everyone accountable – especially Hegseth – for this historic disaster.”
Children play at a beach as commercial vessels are anchored in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas, Iran, Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026. (Amir Biazar/ISNA via AP)
‘Little excursion’ drags on
President Donald Trump arrived at an awkward moment for his presidency on Friday as the U.S.-Israel war against Iran reaches the six-month mark, a notable milestone for a conflict that the Republican leader repeatedly assured Americans would be a “little excursion” lasting a matter of weeks.
The war isn’t over, though Trump claims that through bombs and blockade, he has already devastated Iran’s leadership, military and economy.
And this week his administration said it would turn its focus to increasing economic pressure — rather than military action — to try to finish off Iran. The shifting strategy centers on threats to punish any country or entity that continues to conduct business with Tehran.
The turn to using sanctions as the cudgel of choice comes as the administration weighs diminished munitions stockpiles after months of war, sparking concerns that the prolonged conflict could undermine U.S. military readiness in other parts of the globe.
But Ryan’s office remains doubtful of any ending.
“In the first week of the war, President Donald Trump said it would take ‘four to five weeks’ to achieve the war’s objective,” Ryan’s office said in a news release. “Six months later, 18 brave U.S. servicemembers have been killed – 6 of whom were knowingly sent to an unfortified position and denied additional protection – at least 750 more have been injured, and zero objectives have been achieved.”
Ryan’s office pointed to a Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos poll that found that 61% of Americans believe using military force against Iran was a mistake. Ryan said that makes Trump’s war as “unpopular among Americans as the Iraq War during the peak of violence in 2006 and the Vietnam War in the early 1970s.”
The Pentagon’s internal overall cost estimate has exceeded $100 billion, Ryan’s office said.
“That number doesn’t even account for the cost to the American people,” the congressman’s office said. “Gas prices have soared, as people across NY‐18 have spent an additional $172 million on gas since the beginning of the war, costing the average family in our district an additional $646 in gas costs over the past six months. Grocery prices have also skyrocketed as the Strait of Hormuz remains closed.”
Ryan has favored and co-sponsored the War Powers Resolution to end the war.
In May, amid reports that the Pentagon would seek $200B in supplemental funding for the war, Ryan introduced the No Funds for Iran War Act, which would prohibit the use of additional taxpayer funds for military action against Iran in the absence of an Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF) or official declaration of war from Congress, the office said.
Ryan introduced the legislation with the support of his fellow Democratic veterans in Congress, and it has continued to grow in support in the enduring months of the war, he said.
In April, Ryan confronted Hegseth directly during a House Armed Services Committee hearing, pressing him on his failure to protect troops at Port Shuaiba. Following reporting on the strike on Port Shuaiba, Ryan’s office said he opened an investigation in August into how the Department of Defense failed to provide adequate medical care to service members injured and demanded answers about the Department’s lack of preparation for a strike against Port Shuaiba.
Ryan’s office said he again joined his Democratic veteran colleagues in demanding the Administration accurately and transparently account for U.S. servicemembers killed and wounded in the Iran war.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.