The US Department of Defense is seeking approximately $80 billion to cover expenses linked to the recent war involving Iran, along with other outstanding non-combat financial obligations, according to a report by the The Wall Street Journal.
US Deputy Defense Secretary Stephen Feinberg reportedly told lawmakers this week that the Pentagon requires additional funding to address war-related costs as well as other non-war expenditures.
The newspaper, citing individuals familiar with the matter, said a broader supplemental funding request—covering both defense and non-defense priorities—could be submitted to Congress in the coming days.
Rising questions over war costs
While the total financial impact of the US-Israel conflict with Iran remains uncertain, analysts estimate that the overall economic burden could reach trillions of dollars, factoring in military operations, regional instability, and long-term economic disruption.
The reported funding request highlights growing concerns in Washington over the scale of military spending and the broader fiscal implications of sustained overseas conflicts.
The war has also triggered sharp political criticism from some US lawmakers.
Democratic Congresswoman Yassamin Ansari, the first Iranian-American Democrat elected to Congress, strongly condemned the conflict in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
She described the war as “catastrophic” and said that thousands of civilians “died for nothing,” adding that the US had failed to achieve its stated objectives.
Ansari also criticized former President Donald Trump, calling him “incompetent” and accusing him of misleading the public about the goals and outcomes of the war.
