The United States’ war in Iran has cost $37.5 billion so far, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told lawmakers on Tuesday, marking an increase of nearly $8 billion from the last public estimate.
Hegseth said the latest figure includes costs linked to ongoing operations as well as projected expenses through September 30, warning that the financial burden of the conflict could further strain the Pentagon’s budget and force cuts to military training without an urgent funding boost.
The defense secretary made the disclosure during a hearing before the Senate Appropriations Committee in Washington, where he appeared alongside Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Caine. It was Hegseth’s first public appearance before lawmakers since the U.S. military resumed operations against Iran earlier this month.
The rising cost of the war comes as the Trump administration faces growing political pressure ahead of the midterm elections, with Democrats seeking to connect the conflict to concerns over affordability and the broader economic impact on Americans.
With just six months before midterm elections in which Trump’s Republicans may face an uphill battle to keep their House majority, Democrats are riding high in public opinion polls as they attempt to link the unpopular Iran war with affordability.
Also Read: Trump declares US‑Iran ceasefire over after strikes
A fragile ceasefire between the United States and Iran collapsed earlier this month, triggering renewed daily strikes by both sides and deepening the conflict.
The number of U.S. troops killed in the war has risen to 17, while officials continue examining the remains of another soldier reported missing after a strike on a military base in Jordan. Two of those killed were confirmed to have died during an Iranian attack on U.S. personnel in Jordan.
About 430 U.S. service members have been injured since the conflict began in late February. The Pentagon said on Monday that 100 troops had been injured since July 7, although 96 per cent have returned to duty. It remains unclear how many of those casualties are included in the Pentagon’s publicly available figures.
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump has threatened to expand U.S. strikes in Iran to include energy facilities and bridges, while also raising the possibility of sending ground forces to seize Iran’s Kharg Island oil hub and targeting a deep underground nuclear-linked site known as Pickaxe Mountain.
Trump said on Tuesday that the U.S. would destroy the mountain facility “pretty soon,” escalating concerns over a possible widening of the conflict.
Reuters
