US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth told the Senate appropriations committee on Tuesday, July 21, that the American military campaign against Iran had cost $37.5 billion to date, an upward revision from earlier figures, as he sought congressional backing for a new $88 billion supplemental funding package. Hegseth appeared alongside the chairman of the joint chiefs, General Dan Caine, at a hearing marked by protests from the public gallery and sharp questioning from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.
Deaths of Three American Troops Highlight Urgency
His testimony came days after three American service members were killed in separate incidents: at least two soldiers died in an Iranian attack on Friday, July 22, and a third was killed in Iraq while neutralising an Iranian drone. The total American death toll since the conflict began in February now stands at 17, with nearly 100 troops wounded, though officials said most injuries were minor. The rising casualties have intensified pressure on the administration to justify the war's cost and strategic purpose.
Cost Breakdown and the Funding Request
Of the $88 billion requested, Hegseth said $67.1 billion was allocated specifically to sustain the Iran war effort. The remaining funds were divided between a $21 billion readiness portion, covering military pay, equipment replacement and fuel shortfalls, and a $46 billion capability portion earmarked for expanding production of solid rocket motors, precision munitions, hypersonic weapons and counter-drone systems. "Without these funds, we face critical shortfalls," Hegseth told the committee, cautioning that the Pentagon's ability to pay service members, replenish equipment and maintain operations would be at risk. He described the request as "urgent, necessary" and argued that underfunding the defence department was "the greatest threat that our nation faces."
Lawmakers Push Back on Rationale and Oversight
The hearing exposed deep frustration among senators over the direction of the conflict. Democratic vice-chair Patty Murray of Washington accused the administration of changing its justification for the war on an almost weekly basis, pointing out that the stated aims had shifted from pre-empting a threat, to regime change, to dismantling Iran's nuclear programme, and now to reopening the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway she said was "fully open, toll-free, before this war began." Republican Senator Susan Collins of Maine, who chairs the committee and faces a competitive re-election race, questioned Hegseth on what would happen to military training if the supplemental funding was denied. He replied that current and future exercises "would have to be curtailed."
Congressional War Powers Resolution Ignored
Both chambers of Congress have passed a war-powers resolution calling on President Trump to seek formal legislative authorisation to continue military operations. Hegseth declined to commit to treating any supplemental approval as a substitute for that authorisation, arguing that existing executive powers were sufficient legal basis for the campaign. House Democrats separately accused the Pentagon of withholding basic financial data, with Representative Betty McCollum saying the department missed a deadline to itemise war expenditures and had not disclosed how many precision munitions remained in stock after large quantities were used in Iran.
Background: Iran Airstrike Kills 2 US Soldiers
Legit.ng earlier reported that the United States military confirmed on Saturday, July 18, that two of its service members were killed and one remains missing following a direct Iranian attack on an American base in Jordan, marking the first US troop deaths from Iranian fire since the earliest days of the conflict. The attack, which took place on Friday, July 17, involved a combination of Iranian ballistic missiles and drone strikes. Four additional service members who sustained injuries were evacuated to hospitals in Jordan and subsequently discharged. The identities of those killed have not been released.
