Washington, July 22, 2026
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has pegged the direct costs of the Iran war at $37.5 billion and requested approximately $67 billion in additional defense funds from the Senate, as the US continues its attacks on Iran.
Hegseth cited the $37.5 billion figure on Tuesday before the Senate Budget Committee. He said this represents an increase of nearly eight billion since the last official estimate. Converted, the sum amounts to roughly 33 billion euros.
Amount of Funds and Justification
Hegseth, who calls himself the secretary of war, came to the hearing to lobby for funds in the supplemental budget for the defense of America. Specifically, he requested additional funds of approximately $67 billion. To justify this, he pointed to the ongoing military operations.
The hearing repeatedly descended into turmoil. Several times in succession, he was interrupted by demonstrators demanding an end to the Iran war. Officials escorted the protesters out of the room in the Capitol.
Protests in the Capitol
It is the first time that Hegseth and US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine have publicly faced questions from lawmakers since the US military resumed its operations against Iran earlier this month. Shortly after the hearing, the US Army flew new attacks on Iranian territory.