Pentagon seeks about $80bn as Iran war costs mount, report says

WASHINGTON: The US Defence Department is preparing to ask Congress to approve roughly $80 billion to cover costs linked to the war with Iran and other expenses, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday.

Deputy Defence Secretary Stephen Feinberg shared the request with lawmakers this week. The newspaper, citing people familiar with the discussions, said Pentagon officials have warned they could run short of funding for operations in the coming months unless Congress approves a new wartime spending measure.

The military could be forced to scale back training and troop deployments along the US-Mexico border that are part of President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown. Some of the proposed funding, if cleared by Congress, would be used for munitions, personnel pay and ship operations.

War costs and political pressure

Last month, the Pentagon said the war with Iran had cost nearly $29 billion. Democrats and other critics of the conflict, however, have argued that the real cost could be significantly higher when damage attributed to Iran is also taken into account.

Trump has faced criticism at home from Americans who say billions of taxpayer dollars are being directed to the Middle East conflict at a time when oil prices and inflation are rising in the United States.

Concerns over the effect of the war on US weapons inventories also intensified last month after Acting US Navy Secretary Hung Cao cited the conflict as a reason for pausing arms sales to Taiwan. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth later rejected the suggestion when asked in an interview whether there was a crisis in munitions stockpiles.

Conflict and congressional dispute

The war began after US-Israeli strikes on Tehran in late February, and has since spread across the oil-producing Middle East while disrupting the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global oil supplies.

Efforts to end the conflict appeared under pressure on Friday after fighting broke out between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah group in Lebanon and talks planned in Switzerland were postponed.

The funding debate in Washington is also tied to a legal and political dispute over the war. Some lawmakers have said they will not support further war funding unless the conflict is formally authorised by Congress. Democrats have accused Trump of violating the Constitution by launching the war without congressional backing.

Under the War Powers Act, a president has 60 days to secure congressional approval after introducing US forces into hostilities. Deadline passed weeks ago, and Democrats say Trump is now acting unlawfully.