US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has disclosed that America has spent $37.5 billion on the war with Iran — an $8 billion jump from the May estimate — as hostilities intensify following the collapse of a ceasefire memorandum and ten consecutive nights of US airstrikes.
The bill for America’s war with Iran just got bigger — and the fighting shows no signs of stopping.
US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth appeared before a Senate appropriations committee on Tuesday alongside Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine to defend the administration’s proposed $1.5 trillion defence budget. Under questioning from Democratic Senator Dick Durbin, Hegseth disclosed the latest cost figure without flinching.
“The estimate we have as of today is $37.5bn,” he said.
As reported by Tribune, that figure marks an increase of approximately $8 billion from the $29 billion estimate the Trump administration released in May. Hegseth noted the estimate covers certain operations and maintenance costs projected through the end of September but offered no detailed breakdown. The proposed defence budget includes nearly $70 billion earmarked for military operations linked to the Iran conflict.
The hearing came as the military situation continued to deteriorate. A memorandum of understanding that had paused hostilities since June 17 broke down last week, and US airstrikes have now continued for ten consecutive nights. Two American soldiers were killed over the weekend, prompting President Donald Trump to warn on Monday that Iran would “pay.”
Trump has since threatened to strike Iranian energy facilities and bridges, deploy ground troops to seize Kharg Island, and target the underground nuclear-linked facility known as Pickaxe Mountain.
US military operations have concentrated on locations Iran is believed to use to project influence over the Strait of Hormuz — a strategically critical waterway at the centre of the conflict.
The proposed defence budget and the latest cost figures now await further congressional scrutiny.
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