The Pentagon said on Tuesday that the cost of the war with Iran had risen to nearly $29 billion, drawing renewed scrutiny over the financial and military impact of the conflict on the United States.
The updated figure was revealed during a budget hearing on Capitol Hill, where Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, Joint Chiefs Chairman Dan Caine, and Pentagon finance chief Jules Hurst III testified on a proposed $1.5 trillion defence budget for 2027.
Hurst told lawmakers the estimated cost had increased from the $25 billion figure provided by Hegseth on April 29 due to updated repair, replacement, and operational expenses.
Hegseth said the administration would seek additional funding separately from the main Pentagon budget but did not specify when a formal request would be submitted to Congress.
The hearing took place as tensions surrounding the US-Iran ceasefire continued, with President Donald Trump warning that the truce was on “life support” after rejecting Iran’s latest peace proposal.
Democrats criticised the administration over the rising costs and questioned the lack of clarity regarding the war’s objectives.
Representative Rosa DeLauro asked what had been achieved through the conflict and at what cost, while Representative Betty McCollum accused the Pentagon of lacking transparency about its long-term strategy.
The conflict has also raised concerns about declining US weapons stockpiles after months of missile and air defence operations in West Asia.
Hegseth rejected claims that American munitions reserves had been dangerously depleted, saying the issue had been overstated and insisting the US still had sufficient supplies.
However, Senator Mark Kelly warned that inventories of Tomahawk missiles, Patriot interceptors, and other advanced systems had been heavily reduced and could take years to rebuild.