Pentagon says the United States' cost of the war in Iran is approaching $29 billion.

On Tuesday, the Pentagon reported that the cost of the war with Iran had risen to almost $29 billion, while President Donald Trump faced increasing scrutiny over the conflict and its effect on military readiness.

The figure, disclosed during a Capitol Hill budget hearing, exceeds by roughly $4 billion the estimate given by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth two weeks earlier.

Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman General Dan Caine were testifying on a $1.5 trillion budget request for 2027 alongside Pentagon comptroller Jules Hurst III when lawmakers asked for an updated cost assessment.

“At the time of testimony… it was $25 billion dollars,” Hurst told the committee, referencing Hegseth’s April 29 estimate.

“But the joint staff team and the comptroller team are constantly looking at that estimate, and so now we think it’s closer to 29,” he added, citing revised “repair and replacement of equipment costs” and broader operational expenses.

When pressed about when Congress would receive a detailed accounting, Hegseth said the administration would request “whatever we think we need” in a supplemental submission separate from the main Pentagon budget, without specifying a timeline.

The testimony came as the fragile US‑Iran ceasefire appeared increasingly unstable, with Trump warning on Monday that the truce was on “life support” after rejecting Tehran’s latest peace proposal.

Democrats used the hearing to criticize the administration over the escalating war cost and what they described as a lack of transparency regarding US objectives.

“The question must be answered at the end — what have we accomplished and at what cost?” asked Rosa DeLauro, the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee.

Fellow Democrat Betty McCollum accused the Pentagon of a “consistent lack of transparency” and demanded clearer information on the administration’s long‑term strategy before Congress approves additional funding.

The conflict has heightened concerns about rapidly depleting US weapons stockpiles after months of intensive missile and air‑defense operations in the Middle East.

Hegseth dismissed warnings that the war had dangerously drained American munitions reserves.

“The munitions issue has been foolishly and unhelpfully overstated,” he said. “We know exactly what we have. We have plenty of what we need.”

Democratic Senator Mark Kelly warned over the weekend that inventories of Tomahawk missiles, Patriot interceptors and other advanced systems had been severely drawn down and could take years to replenish, potentially weakening US readiness in any future confrontation with China.

The hearings marked Hegseth’s first appearance on Capitol Hill since the White House formally notified Congress that hostilities launched by the United States and Israel against Iran on February 28 had “terminated.”

Democrats, backed by two Republicans, have repeatedly accused Trump of waging war without proper congressional authorization.

Hegseth and Caine were scheduled for a second round of questioning before a Senate panel later Tuesday.

AFP

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