US war in Iran costs $37.5 billion as Pentagon seeks more funding

WASHINGTON: The cost of the United States’ war in Iran has reached $37.5 billion, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told lawmakers on Tuesday as the Pentagon sought urgent funding for the conflict.

Hegseth said the estimate covered certain war-related expenses and anticipated costs through September 30, although he did not explain how the Pentagon calculated the figure.

A source had told Reuters in March that the Trump administration estimated the first six days of the war had cost at least $11.3 billion.

President Donald Trump asked Congress last month to approve nearly $90 billion in additional funding, most of it linked to the Iran conflict. The request faces resistance from lawmakers ahead of the November midterm elections.

Republican and Democratic lawmakers have criticised the administration for failing to keep Congress adequately informed since the United States and Israel began bombing Iran on February 28.

“The president is threatening escalation and war crimes, and suggesting this could be another forever war,” Senator Patty Murray, the top Democrat on the Appropriations Committee, said during the hearing.

Democratic Senator Kirsten Gillibrand also questioned the administration’s shifting statements on the conflict, saying its previous claims had been inconsistent.

The war has placed further pressure on the Pentagon’s nearly $1 trillion budget. Hegseth warned that military training would have to be reduced unless Congress approved additional funding.

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine said the Pentagon would ensure service members were paid but could face difficulties covering maintenance costs and investing in future capabilities.

Hegseth urged lawmakers to approve both the supplemental request and the Pentagon’s proposed $1.5 trillion budget for 2027.

“Not funding this department at $1.5 trillion, I believe, is the greatest threat that our nation faces,” he said.

A fragile ceasefire between the United States and Iran collapsed earlier this month, with both sides resuming daily strikes.

The number of US troops killed in the war rose to 18 over the weekend, while around 430 personnel have been injured. The Pentagon said 100 service members had been wounded since July 7, of whom 96% had returned to duty.

Trump has also threatened to expand US targets in Iran to include energy facilities and bridges, deploy ground forces to seize the Kharg Island oil hub, and strike the underground nuclear-linked site known as Pickaxe Mountain.

On Tuesday, he said the United States would take out the mountain facility “pretty soon.”