The US war against Iran will cost at least $37.5 billion, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Tuesday. It was an increase of $7.5 billion on the last public estimate.
Mr Hegseth told the Senate appropriations committee that the figure also included anticipated costs until September 30.
In May, US taxpayers were told the conflict would cost them about $30 billion. But analysts believe the real cost of the war will soar well beyond $50 billion.
It will take years to replenish stocks of missile interceptors and bombs, which are once again being expended amid a new round of strikes. And the cost of replacing equipment and damaged bases in the Middle East will continue to rise as Iran fires more missiles at US forces.
Mr Hegseth made the comments at a hearing focused on US President Donald Trump’s $67 billion supplemental defence funding request.
In written remarks, Mr Hegseth said the Pentagon wants $21 billion to hasten the acquisition of high-end missiles and other munitions.
He also revealed that the Pentagon wanted $2 billion to replace “equipment lost or damaged during combat operations”, and $11.6 billion to invest in drones, satellites and other technology.
“President Trump is following a simple logic: the military requires a generational investment to deliver on peace through strength,” Mr Hegseth said in his opening remarks, which were repeatedly interrupted by anti-war protesters.
“We know the best way to create peace is to prepare for war, to deter it, and that's exactly what the Department of War is doing.”
The Pentagon has an annual budget of about $1 trillion. Aside from the supplemental budget request under consideration, the Trump administration wants to increase the budget to $1.5 trillion.
The $1 trillion annual budget is about how much the next seven biggest military powers collectively spend on defence.
Mr Hegseth faced questions from sceptical Democrats over comments he has made during the war with Iran, which the US and Israel launched on February 28.
He had previously claimed victory and said Iran’s military had been rendered “combat ineffective”, yet Tehran has continued to attack Gulf allies and ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
“No one ever stated that every single missile was gone,” Mr Hegseth said.
Senator Patty Murray, the top Democrat on the committee, said the Iran war is “spiralling out of control again”.
“The president is threatening escalation and war crimes, and suggesting this could be another forever war,” she said.
“He has told us over 40 times now that a deal is near and the war will be over soon. But now he is asking for $70 billion more and for us to just trust him it’ll work out fine.”
