Escalation: Pentagon Seeks $80 Billion for Iran War

The Pentagon told senators it needs about $80 billion, mostly for the U.S. war against Iran. A formal request has not yet gone to Congress, but Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has been meeting lawmakers, including Monday night. Deputy Defense Secretary Stephen Feinberg notified committees that the $80 billion package had been sent to the White House budget office.

The ask dwarfs the $29 billion war-cost estimate Hegseth gave last month. That earlier tally focused on munitions, equipment repairs and operating costs, and did not cover rebuilding damaged U.S. facilities in the region. Early figures for the conflict ranged far higher, including an initial $200 billion estimate and about $11.3 billion in costs in the first week.

The push arrives alongside a separate request to lift next year’s Pentagon budget to $1.5 trillion, nearly 50 percent above current levels. Republicans are pursuing about $1.1 trillion through regular appropriations and another $350 billion in a follow-on package later this summer, while senators in both parties are weighing whether an Iran bill would need to be bundled with disaster and farm aid.

AI-synthesized from multiple reported sources