Pete Hegset. Photo: AFP
President Donald Trump’s administration has requested an additional $87 billion from Congress, of which $67 billion is intended for military operations in the Middle East, the AP reports. According to Hegset, without these funds, the Pentagon could face a shortage of resources to pay service members’ salaries, replenish weapons stockpiles, and ensure the continuity of military operations.
The amount cited by the secretary is the highest official estimate of the conflict’s cost to date. In May, Pentagon officials cited costs of about $29 billion, and during the first week of hostilities, they estimated the cost at approximately $11.3 billion. At the same time, Democratic senators and sources familiar with the budget discussions assert that the actual costs could be higher, since the official estimates do not include, in particular, the costs of repairing damaged military infrastructure.
The hearings were accompanied by anti-war protests and ended with a heated exchange between the defense secretary and Democratic senators. The opposition criticized the administration’s request, stating that the White House is seeking tens of billions of dollars for a conflict that, according to President Donald Trump, is nearing its end.
Hegset, for his part, called the additional funding a long-term investment in national security, emphasizing that it is necessary to maintain the combat readiness of the U.S. armed forces.
The prospects for a quick approval of the request remain uncertain. In addition to resistance from Democrats, some Republicans oppose increasing defense spending without cutting other budget items. The approaching summer recess in Congress creates additional complications, so even if a political compromise is reached, the allocation of funds could take several months.
According to the Pentagon, hostilities between the U.S. and Iran continue. At the same time, U.S. military casualties in the Middle East are rising, and the issue of additional funding for the military campaign remains one of the key items on Congress’s agenda.
