Hegseth Says Iran War Costs $37.5B, Seeks More Funds

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated on Tuesday that the U.S. war against Iran has incurred costs of $37.5 billion to date. He made this declaration during testimony before the Senate Appropriations Committee, where he is advocating for a $95 billion GOP budget package. This package aims to fund the military and includes aid for farmers, alongside proposed voting law changes that are White House priorities. Hegseth emphasized that without these additional funds, the military faces "critical shortfalls."

Protesters interrupted Hegseth's opening remarks multiple times during the hearing. These interruptions occurred days after the Pentagon reported the deaths of three more American service members in the conflict, bringing the total death toll to 17. Over 100 service members have been injured since early July. Hegseth described the supplemental war funding as an "urgent, necessary" injection of capital, contrasting it with President Donald Trump's proposed $1.5 trillion defense budget, which he characterized as a "generational investment in the military."

However, Senator Patty Murray, the ranking Democrat on the committee, expressed concerns about the potential for "another forever war," stating that the conflict is "spiraling out of control again." Murray questioned the request for an additional $70 billion, noting President Trump's repeated assertions that a deal was near and the war would conclude soon. She expressed skepticism about simply trusting that the situation would resolve favorably.

Also testifying before the panel are General Dan Caine, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins. The White House issued a statement of administration policy prior to the hearing, urging immediate support for the budget resolution "without modification." The war funding constitutes the majority of the GOP's new budget proposal, which Republicans hope to advance before the congressional recess for midterm election campaigning. The proposal also allocates $10 billion for farmers impacted by Trump's tariffs.