US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told the Senate appropriations committee the war on Iran has cost $37.5bn to date and asked lawmakers for nearly $88bn more to sustain operations.
Key facts
- Hegseth put the war's cost so far at $37.5bn, up from previous estimates.
- The Pentagon is requesting roughly $88bn in additional supplemental funding.
- Three American servicemembers died in the conflict last week.
- US gas prices have risen to just over $4 a gallon, with Brent Crude up nearly 2% to $90.92 a barrel.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told the Senate on Tuesday that the US-Israel war on Iran had cost $37.5bn so far, as he appeared before the Senate appropriations committee to request additional funding, according to the Guardian.
The updated figure marks an increase from previous estimates. Hegseth defended the Trump administration’s roughly $88bn supplemental funding request, describing it as “urgent, necessary” and arguing that billions more were needed to “sustain vital operations without disruption,” the Guardian reported.
The hearing was tense. Hegseth’s opening remarks were repeatedly interrupted by protesters, who were removed at the start of his testimony, and he faced lawmakers described as furious over the conflict’s soaring price tag and the deaths last week of three American servicemembers.
According to Al Jazeera, the latest cost figure comes as Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman Caine seek a $1.5 trillion budget, including $70bn for the Iran war.
The conflict has continued on the ground, with Al Jazeera reporting that the US launched new attacks and that President Trump threatened to bomb a suspected Iranian nuclear site called Pickaxe Mountain “very heavily.”
The war has also had an economic impact at home. US gas prices have continued to rise since the conflict with Iran resumed this month, with the American Automobile Association reporting a gallon of fuel now just over $4 — almost a dollar more than a year ago. Brent Crude, the international oil benchmark, was up by almost 2% to $90.92 a barrel, according to the Guardian.
Why it matters
The rising cost of the war and the request for tens of billions more place a significant demand on the US budget and put pressure on lawmakers weighing further spending. The conflict is also affecting Americans directly through higher fuel prices, while the deaths of US servicemembers have intensified political scrutiny.