US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has sought to defend the Iran war in fiery remarks to Congress, saying it is not a quagmire and attacking Democratic lawmakers as "feckless" for criticising the unpopular conflict.
Hegseth was testifying before Congress for the first time since the United States and Israel launched a war against Iran on February 28 that has led to a surge in petrol prices.
Trump's popularity has taken a pounding since the conflict began and a Reuters/Ipsos poll indicates just 34 per cent of the public approve of the US conflict with Iran, down from 36 per cent in mid-April and 38 per cent in mid-March.
Democrats peppered Hegseth with questions about the open-ended conflict, with representative John Garamendi of California calling it a "quagmire" and "political and economic disaster at every level".
Hegseth responded angrily.
"You call it a quagmire, handing propaganda to our enemies? Shame on you for that statement," Hegseth said in response to Garamendi, and criticised "reckless, feckless and defeatist" Congressional Democrats.
"Don't say: 'I support the troops on one hand, and then a two-month mission is a quagmire.' ... Who are you cheering for here? Who you pulling for?"
