Hegseth says Iran war has cost $37.5 billion as GOP seeks new funds

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told senators Tuesday that the U.S. war against Iran has cost $37.5 billion so far, raising the stakes for a Republican budget package that would add new military funding. The estimate came as Congress weighs a $95 billion plan tied to defense spending, farm aid and voting law changes sought by the White House.

Hegseth gave the figure during testimony before the Senate Appropriations Committee. Protesters repeatedly interrupted his opening remarks days after the Pentagon said three more U.S. service members had died in the conflict, bringing the death toll to 17, with more than 100 wounded since early July.

Hegseth described the requested war money as urgent and necessary. He said the supplemental funding, along with President Donald Trump’s proposed $1.5 trillion defense budget, would amount to a major long-term investment in the military.

“Without these funds, we face critical shortfalls,” Hegseth testified.

Democrats warn against a longer war

Sen. Patty Murray of Washington, the top Democrat on the committee, used her opening remarks to warn that the United States could be entering “another forever war.” She said the conflict was “spiraling out of control again.”

Murray said Trump has repeatedly claimed that an agreement is close and that the war will end soon, while now seeking $70 billion more for the conflict. Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins also appeared before the panel.

The White House urged lawmakers before the hearing to approve the budget resolution “without modification—immediately.” Trump also called on House Republicans in a social media post this week to support the measure.

War funding drives the package

The war money forms the largest part of the Republican budget plan, which party leaders hope to advance before lawmakers leave Washington to campaign for the midterm elections. The package also includes $10 billion for farmers affected by Trump’s tariffs and $10 billion for election law changes that are expected to include new voter ID requirements.

The plan does not include offsets to cover the new spending. Rep. Warren Davidson, Republican of Ohio, has objected, saying it would add to deficits, and other conservatives have raised similar concerns.

An AP-NORC poll found that most Americans continue to disapprove of Trump’s handling of Iran. The conflict has also put pressure on gas prices as Iran seeks to control oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, while U.S. munitions have been depleted by American missile strikes.

House Speaker Mike Johnson said Tuesday that Trump and the Defense Department were working to end the conflict, though he said questions remain about how that would happen. Republicans in Congress have largely avoided a direct challenge to Trump’s Iran strategy.

Hegseth faces broader scrutiny

Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, the Republican chair of the committee, said it was troubling that the Pentagon had blocked or denied promotions for some officers, especially women and minorities. She said the practice could discourage qualified women and people of color from serving.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer criticized Hegseth over his attention to testosterone screenings for troops and accused him of withholding casualty information. Schumer said nearly 450 service members have been injured since the war began.

Senators have also pressed Hegseth to release the Pentagon’s report on a deadly strike on an Iranian primary school at the start of the war. Some have threatened to withhold his travel budget unless he provides it.

The Senate is expected to consider another war powers resolution this week after repeated efforts to stop the conflict. The House has passed a measure limiting Trump’s ability to wage war, with some Republican support, but no resolution has passed both chambers and reached the president.

This story draws on original reporting from Fortune.