U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told a congressional committee on Tuesday that the escalating military conflict with Iran has cost American taxpayers $37.5 billion so far, reflecting a sharp surge from mid-May estimates of $29 billion. Testifying alongside Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine before the Senate Appropriations Committee, Hegseth defended a White House emergency supplemental request seeking $67.1 billion in defense funding through the end of the fiscal year on September 30.
Hegseth warned lawmakers that without immediate congressional approval, the Pentagon will be forced to curtail military training and readiness programs to offset the operational strain of ongoing strikes in the Gulf.
The $37.5 billion estimate covers military pay, fuel, munitions, and projected operational expenses, though officials acknowledged the figure excludes the cost of repairing U.S. military infrastructure damaged by Iranian retaliatory strikes.
The testimony highlighted growing bipartisan tension on Capitol Hill over the conflict’s financial toll.
Democratic lawmakers pushed back against the administration’s funding request, questioning why unspent money from previous appropriations could not be transferred to cover operational shortfalls.
Hegseth countered that those remaining funds are strictly allocated for high-priority projects, including President Donald Trump’s “Golden Dome” missile defense shield and hypersonic weapon development, as U.S. forces continue sustained strikes across Iran following the collapse of an interim ceasefire.
