During a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing on Tuesday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reported that the financial toll of the Iran war on the United States has escalated to $37.5 billion, an increase from the nearly $29 billion estimated in mid-May.
"The estimate we have as of today is $37.5 billion," Hegseth stated while defending a request for approximately $67 billion in supplemental funding for the Pentagon.
Hegseth and General Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, emphasized to Congress that this funding request is both “urgent” and “necessary” to cover the Pentagon's expenses related to the Iran war through the end of September.
However, Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen challenged this assertion, noting that Hegseth still has $75 billion in unspent funds available.
