Pentagon running low on funds as costs of Iran war rack up
The White House wants $67 billion from Congress to help fund the war in Iran, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair Gen. Dan Caine are set to testify in front of the Senate on Tuesday about why they need it.
It’s part of a larger $87 billion supplemental funding request that not only includes money for the war, but would also help fight the worsening Ebola outbreak in Africa and aid American farmers facing losses from natural disasters, among other things.
The Trump administration estimates the war with Iran has already cost the U.S. $30 billion, but sources told NBC earlier this month it’s actually more like $100 billion. And as the Pentagon faces budget shortfalls, it’s had to limit training and maintenance that help maintain military readiness, according to a new report from The Washington Post.
The need for more money is only getting worse as the U.S. has intensified strikes on Iran over the past week. Washington has threatened to escalate things further in the wake of the deaths of three service members.
Moving military money
Pentagon finances are famously opaque. The Department of Defense’s larger subsidiaries haven’t passed financial audits in years, if ever, according to a Government Accountability Office report.
Despite the transparency issues, Hegseth, Caine and Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought will make their case for more money before the Senate Appropriations Committee on Tuesday.
As it stands now, part of the 2026 budget set aside for ongoing Navy and Air Force operations is slated to run out at the end of this month, according to the Post’s report. Sources told the outlet that the war in Iran has put unexpected strain on the two military branches, which have deployed aircraft and warships to the Middle East.
Fiscal Year 2027 doesn’t begin until Oct. 1, meaning the Pentagon has had to move money around, sacrificing things like training exercises to make up for the inevitable gap. Sources also told The Post the budget for equipment and facility maintenance is also being drained to cover the shortfalls.
Documents obtained by The Post show the Pentagon recently asked Congress for permission to reallocate $4.3 billion from training and weapons purchases to address more urgent priorities, but Congress has yet to respond to the request.
A Trump administration official also told the Post that the White House budget office is working to move some funding from other programs to the Pentagon’s operations and maintenance accounts but did not specify which programs would be impacted.
War in the Mideast
Moody’s Analytics estimates higher fuel, food, and airfare prices as a result of the war with Iran have already cost American consumers approximately $132 billion.
An unpopular war
The military officials are asking for funding from lawmakers who have repeatedly voiced bipartisan criticism over the war. Work on spending bills has stalled in the Senate amid a standoff over Democrats’ refusal to sign off on a Republican funding bill that sets aside more money for defense spending.
And it’s not just lawmakers – the war isn’t very popular among everyday Americans, either. A Washington Post-Ipsos poll earlier this month found that 68% say the war is not worth fighting — which the Post says is on par with the worst assessments of the war in Afghanistan.
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Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
