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, and the cost of replacing equipment and damaged bases in the Middle East will continue to rise as Iran fires more missiles.
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 revealed the Pentagon is seeking $21 billion to hasten the acquisition of high-end missiles and other munitions that US forces used in large numbers during the Iran war.
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. The Trump administration wants to increase this to $1.5 trillion.
The $1 trillion annual budget is about how much the next seven biggest military powers collectively spend on defence.
