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Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told the Senate Appropriations Committee on July 21 that the war with Iran had cost the United States $37.5 billion so far an increase of nearly $8 billion since a May estimate according to his testimony. Hegseth urged lawmakers to approve another $87 billion in funding for the Pentagon with $67 billion of that sum intended for operations in the Middle East as part of a broader supplemental package. A CSIS analysis of the June supplemental request placed about one-third of the $87.6 billion total as driven by Iran war costs including $21 billion for munitions and $17.3 billion for operational expenses. The hearing featured multiple disruptions by anti-war protesters and concluded with a shouting match between Hegseth and a Democratic senator.
The figure represents a sharp rise from prior Pentagon assessments which placed the cost at $29 billion in May and $11.3 billion after the first week of fighting according to earlier testimony reported by The New York Times. Two Democratic sources familiar with the matter told the BBC that they believed the true cost was higher because the estimate excluded items such as repairs to damaged American bases. The conflict began on February 28 with a ceasefire reached in April before hostilities resumed last week prompting 11 consecutive days of US strikes and Iranian retaliation. Hegseth described the world as dangerous and said the request would build military lethality while reinforcing peace through strength.
Hegseth warned that without the funds the Pentagon would face shortfalls threatening service member pay rapid replenishment of equipment and munitions and the sustainment of vital operations. He repeatedly blamed the previous Biden administration for what he called an underfunded military while Senate Appropriations Committee chairwoman Susan Collins a Republican pressed him on impacts if needs went unmet. The most senior Democrat on the panel Patty Murray pushed back stating the request did not make a lot of sense and New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand accused the administration of seeking unlimited money for bombs while Americans struggled to feed their families. The Pentagon announced the deaths of several US service members in recent days bringing the total to 18 since the conflict started according to a Truth Social post by President Trump comparing it to longer past wars.
Democratic Senator Dick Durbin elicited the $37.5 billion estimate directly from Hegseth during questioning while the defense secretary argued that approval would represent a generational investment avoiding the need to play catch-up with other nations’ militaries. The hearing occurred amid opposition from most Democrats and some Republican fiscal hawks who sought spending cuts elsewhere to offset the request. The House of Representatives is scheduled to leave town on Thursday with both chambers not returning jointly until September delaying any potential approval by months according to committee members. Trump who was at the White House during the session posted a list of longer bloodier US wars noting their duration and death toll.
The Costs of War project at Brown University has estimated that post-9/11 US conflicts including those in Iraq and Afghanistan exceeded $8 trillion through 2021 when factoring in direct spending veteran care and interest on borrowed funds. That project placed the Iraq war zone alone at more than $2 trillion while noting such figures often grow with long-term obligations. Hegseth’s current estimate for Iran while significant remains far below those historical totals but arrives as the White House separately requested $1.5 trillion for the Pentagon in the next fiscal year which would mark an all-time high in the modern era. The supplemental also includes funds for other priorities such as $11.1 billion to support American farmers affected by storms and crop issues.
The Pentagon previously identified four US personnel killed in Jordan and Iraq including Sgt Michael Emmanuel Swinton Sgt Angel Rampersad Pfc Isabella Gonzales and 1st Lt Tyler Feehan according to official announcements. Trump is set to receive the flag-draped coffins at a Delaware air base the day after the hearing. Hegseth’s appearance marked his first on Capitol Hill since the renewed hostilities and came as the administration defended its strategy amid accusations from senators such as Michigan’s Gary Peters that it had created another forever war. Peters called Hegseth a failure prompting the defense secretary to respond that the lawmaker suffered from Trump derangement syndrome.
