US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth faced bipartisan criticism in back-to-back congressional hearings on Wednesday, as lawmakers from both parties pressed him on the lack of a clear strategy in the ongoing war with Iran and its rising financial toll — with the Pentagon's estimated cost of the conflict climbing from $25 billion to roughly $29 billion in under two weeks. The Strait of Hormuz closure continues to drive up fuel prices for American consumers, while a fragile ceasefire remains nominally in effect despite no softening of demands on either side. President Trump, who described the ceasefire as being on "massive life support," departed for Beijing to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping — Iran's largest oil customer and a potential key to any diplomatic resolution — though Trump publicly downplayed China's leverage, saying the US would "win it one way or the other."