Middle East

US defense chief Hegseth puts Iran war cost at $37.5 billion so far

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the cost of the ongoing conflict with Iran has reached $37.5 billion so far. The figure came as Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman Caine seek a $1.5 trillion defense budget, including $70 billion earmarked for the Iran war.

Grey warship at sea in daylight
Grey warship at sea in daylightPhoto: Alexander Popadin / Pexels
Al Jazeera1 h ago

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the total cost of the ongoing conflict with Iran has reached $37.5 billion so far, marking the latest official US accounting on the matter.

The figure was disclosed as Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman Caine seek a $1.5 trillion defense budget from Congress. Of that requested budget, $70 billion is earmarked directly for the Iran war.

The numbers underscore the growing fiscal burden the conflict is placing on US public finances. Congressional deliberations over the budget request are expected to become clearer in the coming weeks.

GeopoliticsMiddle EastAl Jazeera
This article is an AI-curated summary of the original story published by Al Jazeera. The illustration is a stock photo by Alexander Popadin from Pexels and is not from the original story.

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