Iran war price tag hits US$25 billion as Hegseth defends record Pentagon budget

AdvertisementUS, Israel war on IranUSIran war price tag hits US$25 billion as Hegseth defends record Pentagon budget

Disclosure to Congress comes as the defence chief faces mounting Democratic criticism over spending priorities and strategy

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Yuanyue Dangin WashingtonPublished: 1:14am, 30 Apr 2026Updated: 3:45am, 30 Apr 2026The two-month war with Iran has cost about US$25 billion, a Pentagon official told lawmakers on Wednesday, as US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth defended a record US$1.5 trillion military budget that faces backlash from Democrats.

At a House Armed Services Committee hearing on Wednesday, Jules Hurst III, the Pentagon’s chief financial officer, offered the first official estimate of the cost of the war in Iran.

He said that most of the US$25 billion in spending went towards ammunition, but the US military also allocated funds for operations and equipment upgrades.

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Hurst was one of the witnesses at the hearing on the Pentagon’s record-breaking budget. Seated next to him were Hegseth and General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

In a packed hearing room, Hegseth faced his first congressional questioning regarding the war since the US and Israel launched strikes against Iran on February 28.Advertisement

The top defence official, who has faced repeated controversy over operational security, senior personnel firings and his handling of sensitive war planning since taking office, began his remarks by apparently taking aim at Congress: “The biggest challenge, the biggest adversary we face at this point are the reckless, feckless and defeatist words of congressional Democrats and some Republicans.”

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