Republican senators say confidence is waning in Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s leadership of the U.S. armed forces as the war with Iran drags on without an end in sight. One Republican senator close to defense policymakers, granted anonymity to discuss private conversations, said Hegseth is losing support within senior military ranks. “I have heard out of the Pentagon that there’s a loss of confidence, within the Pentagon. Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Susan Collins, of Maine, criticized the departures of senior military officials during Hegseth’s testimony before her panel. It comes after Hegseth has blocked the promotion of female senior Navy officers without explaining his rationale.