US War in Iran Costs $37.5 Billion, Defence Secretary Seeks Urgent Funding
En resumen
- US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the war in Iran has cost US$37.5 billion, seeking urgent funding from skeptical lawmakers.
- The unpopular conflict is a key issue ahead of midterm elections.
Resumen generado por IA
Por qué importa
The US war in Iran has cost US$37.5 billion so far, with heavy bombings resuming. US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth sought urgent funding from Congress.
The cost of the United States’ war in Iran has risen to US$37.5 billion so far, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Tuesday, as he faced sceptical lawmakers for the first time since heavy bombings resumed to seek urgent funding for the unpopular conflict.
With just six months before midterm elections in which US President Donald Trump’s Republicans may face an uphill battle to keep their House of Representatives and Senate majorities, Democrats are riding high in public opinion polls as they attempt to link the unpopular Iran war with affordability.
Hegseth told lawmakers at a hearing in Washington that the US$37.5 billion included certain aspects of the war as well as anticipated costs through September 30.
It was unclear how the Pentagon arrived at the figure. A source told Reuters in March that Trump’s administration estimated the first six days of the war had cost at least US$11.3 billion.
Trump asked Congress last month for nearly US$90 billion in additional funding, most of it related to the Iran conflict, setting the stage for another fight with lawmakers frustrated with the war and facing the November midterms.
Both Republican and Democratic lawmakers have complained since the US and Israel began bombing Iran on February 28 that Trump and his team have not kept them informed about the conflict or his plans.
Preguntas abiertas
- How did the Pentagon arrive at the US$37.5 billion figure?
