The Pentagon has calculated it needs $80 billion in taxpayer funds to cover the costs of Trump’s four-month war with Iran.
The war, which began on Feb. 28, resulted in the deaths of 13 U.S. service members, as well as more than 3,300 Iranians, pushing up oil prices around the world and spiking inflation and mortgage rates in the U.S.
An estimate from Moody’s Analytics said the war has already cost U.S. consumers and taxpayers around $132 billion. Last month, the Pentagon estimated the cost of the war in Iran was roughly $29 billion.
Now, a new report says the Pentagon told lawmakers this week that it needs an additional $80 billion to cover the costs of the Iran conflict and other non-war-related bills, according to The Wall Street Journal.
The publication cites people familiar with the discussions, which have been led by 66-year-old billionaire Stephen Feinberg, who has served as the deputy secretary of defense since March last year.
The figure comes as lawmakers try to put a precise price tag on the war. There are fears that the U.S. military has used munitions in the Iran conflict that could be required for security threats elsewhere.
Last month, the Pentagon flagged that it needs Congress to pass a new wartime spending bill in time to fund future operations, such as training exercises. The Department of Defense has funded Trump’s unplanned Iran war out of its annual operations and maintenance budget.
The Pentagon’s current budget for the next year is roughly $1 trillion, with any request for extra funds required to be approved by the White House’s Office of Management and Budget before it goes to Congress. However, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is already touting his plans for a $1.5 trillion budget.
The publication said Feinberg has briefed lawmakers on his plan this week, with money to be allocated to ship operations, personnel pay, and munitions.
Their sources added a full U.S. supplemental request, which would fund the Pentagon as well as non-defense priorities such as farm and disaster relief, could be sent to lawmakers in the coming days.
The Daily Beast has contacted the Pentagon and the White House for comment.
This week Trump signed a 14-point peace plan with Iran, claiming it represented a “major win” for America despite making political and financial concessions to Iran.
The president said the plan, and access to the Strait of Hormuz for global oil supplies, will prevent a “worldwide depression”.
Feinberg, who founded private equity firm Cerberus Capital Management, has kept a low profile but has “far eclipsed” his boss, Hegseth, according to a report in The Guardian.
“Everything is centered around Feinberg,” one veteran Pentagon bureaucrat said.
“I don’t think there’s anything that goes on that he doesn’t have a stake in,” a financier familiar with his operations stated.
Hegseth’s figure of $1.5 trillion faced immediate pushback from Republicans, who were wary of the impact on domestic funding ahead of the critical midterm elections.
Ahead of Trump signing his peace deal, Hegseth met with lawmakers on Capitol Hill on Tuesday, pushing for his unprecedented $1.5 trillion budget. Hegseth met with Republican Lindsey Graham, who chairs the Senate Budget Committee.
Graham posted on X that he is prepared to support extra money for the Pentagon.
“We discussed the urgent need to plus up the military budget to deal with replenishing and restoring our stockpile of weapons and other one-time expenses being incurred by constant conflict,” Graham said, suggesting a figure of $355 billion.
“We cannot turn our backs on an historic opportunity to help the Department of War at a time of multiple conflicts,” Graham added.
