US defense chief says Iran ceasefire remains 'in effect'

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Tuesday that a ceasefire between the US and Iran is active, even as lawmakers pressed him on whether a formal written agreement exists between the two sides.

Hegseth made the remarks alongside Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair Gen. Dan Caine during testimony before a House Appropriations subcommittee reviewing the Trump administration’s proposed 2027 defense budget, and discussing developments in the conflict with Iran.

The sharpest exchange came when Rep. Pete Aguilar questioned Hegseth about last month's testimony in which the Pentagon chief said the ceasefire effectively paused the 60-day clock under the War Powers Resolution.

“Who were the parties to the ceasefire?” Aguilar asked.

“Well, right now we are in that same ceasefire, as of right now,” Hegseth replied.

Aguilar interrupted, saying, “That wasn’t the question. Who are the parties to the ceasefire?”

“That would be the United States and the regime in Iran,” Hegseth responded.

The Democrat from the state of California then pressed for details on the agreement, asking whether the ceasefire had written terms or formal documentation.

“How many pages is the ceasefire? What deal points? How do we know that the ceasefire is active or not active without any documentation?” Aguilar asked.

“We know,” Hegseth said. “It’s evident, and the ceasefire is in effect.”

Aguilar continued questioning whether lawmakers were simply expected to trust the administration’s assessment without seeing a formal framework.

“You just trust that the president (Donald Trump) knows that the ceasefire is active or not inactive?” Aguilar asked.

“As you know, for the most part, a ceasefire means the fire is ceasing, and we know that has occurred while negotiations occur,” Hegseth replied.

'Munitions issue has been foolishly and unhealthily overstated'

The US and Israel launched strikes against Iran on Feb. 28, triggering retaliation from Tehran against Israel as well as US allies in the Gulf, along with the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

A ceasefire took effect April 8 through Pakistani mediation, but talks in Islamabad failed to produce a lasting agreement. The truce was later extended by Trump without a set deadline.

Earlier in the hearing, Hegseth defended the administration’s broader military posture and the proposed $1.5 trillion defense budget, calling it “a fiscally responsible budget” and “a war-fighting budget.”

“We are rebuilding a military that the American people can be proud of,” Hegseth said. “One that instills nothing less than the unrelenting fear in our adversaries and confidence in our allies. We fight to win in every scenario.”

The defense secretary also argued that concerns about US weapons stockpiles had been exaggerated after committee chairman Ken Calvert raised questions about munitions spending and replenishment needs tied to the ongoing operation.

“The munitions issue has been foolishly and unhealthily overstated,” said Hegseth. “We know exactly what we have. We have plenty of what we need.”

Rep. Betty McCollum later asked whether the Pentagon had contingency plans should the ceasefire collapse.

“We have a plan for all of that,” said Hegseth. “We have a plan to escalate if necessary. We have a plan to retrograde if necessary. We have a plan to shift assets.”

He declined to provide operational specifics publicly, citing the sensitivity of the mission and the administration’s objective “to ensure that Iran never has a nuclear bomb.”