US defence chief says Iran war has cost $37.5 billion so far
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US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Tuesday that the US-Israel war on Iran has cost the United States an estimated $37.5 billion so far.
Hegseth disclosed the figure during a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing, where he and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine sought approval for a $1.5 trillion defence budget that includes nearly $70 billion for the Iran war.
"The estimate we have as of today is $37.5 billion," Hegseth said in response to a question from Democratic Senator Dick Durbin.
He said the estimate includes some operations and maintenance costs through the end of September but did not provide further details.
The latest estimate is about $8 billion higher than the Trump administration's previous estimate of $29 billion released in May.
The hearing took place as fighting between the United States and Iran continued after a memorandum of understanding that had halted attacks since June 17 collapsed last week.
On Monday, President Donald Trump said Iran would "pay" after two US soldiers were killed over the weekend. He has also threatened to target Iranian energy facilities, bridges, Kharg Island and the underground nuclear-linked site known as Pickaxe Mountain.
Iran has vowed to continue striking US assets in the region. Recent attacks have hit desalination and power plants in Kuwait and other sites in Bahrain and Jordan. Yemen's Houthi movement has also announced a maritime blockade against Saudi Arabia.
During the hearing, Hegseth said additional funding was needed to expand production of high-demand munitions, including solid rocket motors, Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAMs), hypersonic weapons and counter-drone systems.
He also warned that military training could be curtailed if the Pentagon did not receive the requested funding.
Democratic Senator Patty Murray criticised the budget proposal, saying it included funding requests for a range of unrelated military operations and telling Hegseth that the request "does not make a lot of sense."