Senator Chris Murphy Says Pete Hegseth-Led Pentagon Barred Inspection of Iran War-Damaged Gulf Base to Hide True Costs From Congress and Public
Senator Chris Murphy claimed he was denied access to a U.S. air base.
Oct. 9 2026, Published 12:02 p.m. ET
Senator Chris Murphy accused Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and military officials of conducting a deliberate campaign to conceal the true scale of the Iran conflict after the Pentagon denied him entry to a major American air base, RadarOnline has learned.
On October 6, Murphy claimed that he wasn't allowed access to Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, calling the situation evidence of an “active, unprecedented, unconstitutional effort” by the U.S. government to hide the costs and consequences of the Iran war from Congress and the American public.
Denial of Access
Murphy said he was denied access to Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar.
Al Udeid is the largest U.S. military base in the Middle East and has been repeatedly attacked by Iran during the war, according to Reuters.
Murphy said he specifically wanted to inspect the base because of the damage caused by Iranian missile strikes, including reported damage to the facility’s Combined Air Operations Center.
Murphy also said the Pentagon refused to arrange a briefing on the war while he was in the region and would not allow him to speak with military leadership.
Murphy Thinks Hegseth Is Hiding Something
Murphy believes the war's cost has reached billions of dollars.
Speaking with reporters in Riyadh, the Connecticut Democrat said the travel restrictions were something he had “never encountered” during his time in the Senate.
He characterized the rules as a calculated effort to withhold information –a “deliberate campaign of obfuscation” – and urged Republican lawmakers to join calls for the Pentagon to lift them.
Murphy believed the military's restrictions were intended to hide the true scale of damage at the installation, which he estimated could reach billions of dollars, along with the wider financial and human toll of the war.
He noted that the policy has affected bipartisan delegations across the region rather than singling out individual legislators.
Pentagon Denied Wrongdoing
Defense officials dismissed Murphy's allegations.
Defense officials dismissed suggestions that the Pentagon targeted Murphy, maintaining that officials informed his staff before he left Washington that the military could not accommodate a visit to Al Udeid Air Base.
A senior defense official told Reuters that the decision aligned with a March 3 travel directive from Hegseth, adding that the department enforces the policy evenly across all congressional inquiries.
Murphy, who serves on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said Secretary of State Marco Rubio assisted with his regional itinerary by coordinating diplomatic engagements.
He contrasted the State Department's cooperation with the Pentagon's refusal to grant him access to the base.
During the trip, Murphy met with Gulf leaders, including Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al Thani and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Congress Questions Iran War Costs
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Congress has been pressing the administration for more information about the war's costs
A number of members of Congress, including some Republicans who support President Donald Trump, have been pressing the administration for more information about the war's costs, strategy and casualties.
The war has reportedly carried huge financial costs for the U.S. government, with the Congressional Budget Office estimating more than $40 billion in taxpayer costs after 220 days of fighting. The conflict has also been associated with higher gasoline, energy, transportation, and food costs as disruptions to oil supplies and shipping have contributed to wider economic effects.
More than 20 U.S. troops have been killed, along with thousands of Iranians and dozens of Gulf residents and citizens.
The Trump administration has continued expanding the U.S. military presence in the region, with Trump recently ordering thousands more troops and another aircraft carrier to the Middle East.
As Radar previously reported, Trump said at a Nebraska rally October 5 that the U.S. was “kicking Iran's a--” and predicted the conflict would end soon.
