US Defense Department Reports $29 Billion Spent on War with Iran

The Pentagon has reported that $29 billion has been spent so far on the war with Iran. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had previously estimated $25 billion on April 29, but the amount has now risen to $29 billion. After US President Donald Trump rejected Tehran’s peace proposal, he described the ceasefire as an “aid to humanitarian lives.”

The US Department of Defense revealed that the war with Iran has cost $29 billion to date amid increasing scrutiny over its impact on conflict and military readiness. This disclosure was made during a budget hearing on Capitol Hill. The new figure is approximately $4 billion higher than the estimate provided by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth two weeks earlier.

Hegseth and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Mark Milley raised calls for greater transparency about war expenses while debating the Pentagon’s $1.5 trillion budget request for 2027 with Comptroller Jules Hurst III. Quoting Hegseth’s April 29 estimate, Hurst told lawmakers, “Initially, the war was projected to cost $25 billion; however, the joint staff and controller teams have continuously reviewed that estimate, and the figure has now approached $29 billion.”

When asked when Congress might receive a full accounting of war costs, Hegseth stated, “The administration has indicated it will make a supplemental request separate from the Pentagon’s main budget, but the timing of that request is currently unclear.” Following President Trump’s rejection of Tehran’s latest peace proposal, he characterized the ceasefire as “support for humanitarian lives.” At a House Appropriations Committee meeting, top Democrat Rosa DeLauro questioned what had been achieved from the conflict and at what cost. Another Democrat, Betty McCollum, accused the Pentagon of “consistent lack of transparency” and urged Congress to seek clarity on the administration’s long-term strategy before approving further funding.

Concerns have grown over the rapid depletion of American weapons stockpiles after months of intensive missile and air defense campaigns in the Middle East. Hegseth rejected warnings that the war has dangerously exhausted US war materiel. “The issue of military supplies has been misrepresented and exaggerated uncooperatively,” he said. “We know what we have, and we have substantial resources available as needed.”