Iran live updates: Hegseth estimates war with Iran cost the US $37.5 billion

Some Senate Democrats on Tuesday called out the Trump administration’s handling of the war in Iran, accusing them of misrepresenting the number of casualties and widening the war as the lawmakers demanded more transparency.

“The ceasefire collapsed. The war is escalating. American troops are paying the price. Iran knew it attacked our bases. The Pentagon knew our troops were wounded. The only people kept in the dark were the American people. That's not operational security. It's political protection for Donald Trump,” said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.

Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., sounded exasperated as he talked about Trump’s threats to escalate the war amid numerous troop casualties despite Congress voting to limit Trump’s war powers in the Middle East. Kaine said the administration needs to have an explanation as to why servicemembers were killed.

"You better have a really good answer for that question. And as of right now, this war of choice that Donald Trump started, he cannot answer that question. Congress has definitively declared both houses that this war is illegal. Only we in the Constitution have that power. The president is ignoring us, even though that declaration was made by two Republican majority houses,” Kaine said.

Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., said he is not seeing enough transparency from the Trump administration regarding casualties and killing in action in the Middle East as a result of hostilities with Iran.

"Truth is first casualty of war, so we honestly have no idea what's going over there," Massie told ABC News. "I would trust some foreign news source or some satellite images from a commercial third party, more than I would our government.”

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth told congressmembers on Capitol Hill that the war in Iran has cost the U.S. $37.5 billion so far.

Hegseth said this includes estimated costs through Sept. 30.

Even the threat of attacks by the Houthis is having an impact on ships transiting through the Bab el Mandeb route -- a strait in the Red Sea's southern gateway and one of the world's most important oil shipping routes for crude and fuel shipments moving between the Middle East, Europe and Asia -- according to a ship fleet company executive who has seven tankers in the region.

"There is no transit through the Strait of Hormuz. Also as of today the Bab el Mandeb transits into the Red Sea are also uncertain as Houthis have sent messages to many companies banning transit to Saudi ports," the executive told ABC News.

"We deal with uncertainty on a daily basis but the level of uncertainty now is unprecedented. Especially for the seafarers this is a nightmare. This is a huge concern for the world because if the Bab el Mandeb closes while the Strait of Hormuz is closed oil will go to 150!" the executive said.

The executive said it is "too risky" to go through the Arabian Gulf, adding that the "Red Sea transit has become an unknown. No incidents as yet but clear threats and instructions from Houthis not to head to/from Saudi ports."

-ABC News' Desiree Adib

President Donald Trump insisted on Tuesday that Iran "desperately" wants to meet for ceasefire talks despite the U.S. and Iran exchanging limited strikes for over a week.

But, Trump maintained that the war is not yet over telling reporters at the White House, "We're not finished."

"We're not leaving," Trump said.