The U.S. Department of Defense is requesting an additional $80 billion from Congress to address expenses from the Iran war and other non-war-related bills. Deputy Defense Secretary Stephen Feinberg communicated this need to lawmakers in phone calls this week, as reported by The Wall Street Journal. This request comes as the Pentagon faces a potential shortage of funds this summer if new legislation is not passed.
Initially, the Iran war, which began on February 28, was estimated to cost around $25 billion by a Pentagon official in April. However, The Daily Beast reports that the cost to U.S. consumers and taxpayers has already reached approximately $132 billion, with an earlier Pentagon estimate of around $29 billion for the war itself. The ongoing conflict has resulted in 13 U.S. service member deaths and over 3,300 Iranian casualties, leading to increased oil prices globally and heightened inflation and mortgage rates in the U.S.
The full U.S. supplemental request, which will encompass funding for the Pentagon as well as non-defense priorities like farm and disaster relief, is expected to be sent to lawmakers in the coming days. The $80 billion sought will cover ship operations, personnel pay, and munitions. This is in addition to the Pentagon's annual budget, which Congress approved at more than $800 billion for the current fiscal year. Previously, an initial request for $200 billion in additional funding met strong opposition from lawmakers.
White House budget director Russell Vought stated in April that he had no estimate for the war's cost, while defending President Trump's request for a $1.5 trillion annual military budget. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is also pushing for a $1.5 trillion budget despite the Pentagon's current budget being roughly $1 trillion. Senator Lindsey Graham has expressed support for additional military funding, suggesting a figure of $355 billion to replenish weapons stockpiles and cover one-time expenses from constant conflict.
