The war with Iran has cost the US some $37.5bn (£28bn) so far—an increase of nearly $8bn since the last estimate in May, according to Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth. Hegseth made the statement during a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing, where he stressed the urgency of congressional funding for the Pentagon.

Request for $87bn in Additional Funding

Hegseth told the Senate Appropriations Committee that lawmakers must approve an additional $87bn in congressional funding for the Pentagon — Of that, $67bn would be allocated for operations in the Middle East. The hearing was disrupted multiple times by anti-war protesters and ended in a heated exchange between the defence secretary and a senator.

It was Hegseth’s first appearance on Capitol Hill since hostilities between the US and Iran resumed last week; the hearing also came after three American soldiers were confirmed dead in the region.

White House Requests $1.5tn for Pentagon

The White House has requested $1.5tn for the Pentagon over the next fiscal year, which would raise American military spending to an all-time high in the modern era. This request includes the new supplemental funding sought by Hegseth.

The US conducted an 11th consecutive day of strikes on Tuesday, with Iran responding with its own strikes against the US and its allies in the region. During his testimony. Hegseth said. “we live in a dangerous world,” emphasizing the need for bold and swift action.

He added that without the requested funds, the US would face critical shortfalls that could threaten the ability to pay service members, replenish equipment and munitions, and sustain operations without interruption. Every dollar appropriated. Hegseth said. Would be used to build the “lethality” of US military forces and “reinforce peace through strength.”.

Debate Over Funding and Military Spending

Senate Appropriations Committee chairwoman Susan Collins, a Republican, questioned Hegseth about the potential impact if the budget needs were not met. Hegseth said current and future training for military members would need to be cut without the funds, and he repeatedly criticized the former President Joe Biden’s administration for what he called an underfunded military.

The most senior Democrat on the committee, Patty Murray, disputed the funding request, saying it “does not make a lot of sense.” Democratic Senator Dick Durbin asked Hegseth for an estimate of how much the war in Iran has cost so far, prompting Hegseth to give the $37.5bn figure.

Two Democratic sources and a third source familiar with the matter told the BBC’s media partner CBS that the actual cost of the Iran war is likely much higher. They noted that the current estimate does not include costs like construction for damaged American bases.

There had been no official government estimate of the US financial cost of the war since 12 May, when a senior Pentagon official put the figure at $29bn. Previously, the Pentagon had told lawmakers the war had cost the US some $11.3bn in the first week.

Hegseth argued that if approved. The funding request would be a “generational investment” that would help the US avoid “playing catch-up” with the militaries of other nations. The US and Iran had agreed to a ceasefire in April, but the truce collapsed, and hostilities resumed last week.

New York Democratic Senator Kirsten Gillibrand accused the Trump administration of seeking “unlimited money for bombs” from Congress while American citizens struggle to “feed their families.” She questioned why Hegseth was asking for tens of billions of dollars for a war the president said had already been won.

The hearing culminated in a shouting match between Hegseth and Democratic Senator Gary Peters. Peters called Hegseth a “failure” and accused the Trump administration of creating another “forever war.” Hegseth responded by saying “shame on you” and accused Peters of having “Trump derangement syndrome.”

Most Democrats are opposed to the supplemental funding request, and there is also some discontent within Republican ranks. Some fiscal hawks in the Republican Party want spending cuts elsewhere to offset the budget. The House of Representatives is set to leave town on Thursday, and both chambers of Congress will not be back in session until September.

Even if Republicans can secure enough votes, it will take a couple of months before the Pentagon can receive the funds. During Hegseth’s hearing, Trump—then at the White House—posted a list of longer, bloodier US wars, noting their duration and death toll. He wrote on Truth Social that 18 had died so far in the US war with Iran, which began on 28 February.

On Tuesday, the Pentagon announced the death of Sgt Michael Emmanuel Swinton, a 30-year-old US soldier, in Iraq. Another US soldier, Sgt Angel Rampersad, 28, was believed dead in Jordan. A day earlier, the military identified two other US service personnel killed in action in Jordan as Pfc Isabella Gonzales, 19, and 1st Lt Tyler Feehan, 25.

Trump is scheduled to visit an air base in the US state of Delaware on Wednesday morning as the soldiers’ flag-draped coffins arrive home.