Hegseth says Iran war has cost US $37.5 billion
The defense secretary gave the estimate as senators examined a $1.5 trillion Pentagon budget request that includes nearly $70 billion for the Iran war.
By Lucas Ferreira · Science & Environment Writer
3 min read
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told senators Tuesday that the war with Iran has cost $37.5 billion to date, according to Al Jazeera. The figure matters because the Pentagon is seeking a $1.5 trillion defense budget that includes nearly $70 billion tied to the conflict.
Hegseth gave the estimate during a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing, where he appeared with Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Dan Caine. Democratic Senator Dick Durbin pressed Hegseth on the cost, and the defense secretary replied that the estimate “as of today” stood at $37.5 billion.
Hegseth said the total includes some operations and maintenance expenses through the end of September, Al Jazeera reported. He did not break down those costs in detail during the hearing.
Estimate below outside projections
The Pentagon figure is higher than the $29 billion estimate the Trump administration released in May, according to Al Jazeera. It remains well below some outside assessments of the war’s broader impact.
Moody’s Analytics has estimated that the domestic cost could reach $150 billion when wider effects are counted, Al Jazeera reported. That estimate includes factors such as higher energy prices for US consumers.
The hearing took place as fighting between the United States and Iran continued after a memorandum of understanding that had paused attacks since June 17 collapsed last week, according to Al Jazeera. The United States and Israel launched the war on February 28, Al Jazeera reported.
President Donald Trump said Monday that Iran would “pay” after two more US soldiers were killed over the weekend, according to Al Jazeera. His comments came before what Al Jazeera described as the 10th straight night of US strikes.
Over the past week, Trump has threatened to strike Iranian energy plants and bridges, send ground forces to seize Kharg Island, and bomb a deep-underground nuclear-linked site known as Pickaxe Mountain, Al Jazeera reported. US attacks have targeted sites Iran uses to project influence over the Strait of Hormuz, according to the outlet.
Weapons stockpile pressures
Iran has promised to keep striking US assets in the region, Al Jazeera reported. The latest Iranian-aligned attacks set desalination and power plants on fire in Kuwait and hit other sites in Bahrain and Jordan, according to Al Jazeera.
The Houthis in Yemen, which Al Jazeera described as close allies of Iran, have also declared a maritime blockade against Saudi Arabia. The move adds to regional pressure around the conflict.
Hegseth told senators that the war has strained US weapons supplies, according to Al Jazeera. He said the Pentagon needs money “to expand production lines and accelerate delivery” of high-demand munitions, naming solid rocket motors, Joint Direct Attack Munitions, hypersonic weapons and counter-drone systems.
Hegseth also warned that training could be reduced if Congress does not approve the Pentagon’s funding needs urgently, Al Jazeera reported. He tied that risk to the current budget cycle and the demands of the war.
Democratic Senator Patty Murray criticized the broader request, which Al Jazeera said also includes money for a National Guard deployment in Washington, DC, US operations against alleged drug smugglers in the Caribbean, and military patrols along the US border. Murray told Hegseth the request did “not make a lot of sense.”
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.