Pentagon seeks over $200bn to fund war on Iran: report
WASHINGTON: The Pentagon has asked the White House to seek more than $200 billion from Congress to fund ongoing strikes on Iran. The request is likely to trigger a major partisan battle on Capitol Hill, The Washington Post reported on Wednesday, citing a senior US official and three people familiar with the matter.
The figure would far surpass the cost of the US military campaign against Iran to date and is intended to urgently expand production of critical weapons depleted since the US‑Israeli strikes on Iran began on February 28, the report said.
It remains unclear how much the White House will ultimately ask Congress to approve, as some administration officials believe the Department of Defense request has little chance of passing, the report added, citing a senior Trump administration official who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The cost of the US strikes on Iran has rapidly grown, exceeding $11 billion in the first week alone, the report said, citing multiple officials.
Before launching the massive attacks on Iran, US President Donald Trump had proposed a $1.5 trillion defence budget for 2027, more than a 50% increase on the previous year.
It remains unclear how, or whether, the supplementary request may count towards that total, the report said. It also noted that the White House Office of Management and Budget objected to the figure in internal discussions, suggesting it was too large.
By RSS/Xinhua
