Democratic US Senator Chris Murphy said the Pentagon denied him access to Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar during his Middle East visit, calling it part of an effort to hide the costs of the Iran war.

“This trip confirmed for me that there is an active, unprecedented, unconstitutional effort underway to hide the costs of this war and the implications of this war from Congress and the American people,” Murphy told journalists in Riyadh.

Murphy said the Pentagon also refused to set up a briefing for him on the war while he was in the region. He contrasted this with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who he said facilitated his visit.

During the trip, Murphy met Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al Thani and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, pushing for an end to the war in Iran and a pathway to a Palestinian state.

The Al Udeid base is the largest US base in the region. It has been repeatedly attacked by Iran during the war. Murphy contrasted the Pentagon’s stance with the State Department’s help.