Pentagon says it needs US$80bil for Iran war and other bills

WASHINGTON: The US defence department needs US$80 billion to cover costs from the Iran war as well as other non-war-related bills, deputy defence secretary Stephen Feinberg told lawmakers in phone calls this week, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday, citing people familiar with the matter.

A full US supplemental request, which will include money for the Pentagon as well as non-defence priorities such as farm and disaster relief, could be sent to lawmakers in the coming days, the newspaper added.

Reuters could not immediately verify the report. The White House and Pentagon were not immediately available for comment outside business hours when contacted by Reuters.

The Iran war has cost around US$25 billion, a Pentagon official told Reuters in April providing the first official estimate of war costs.

However, the full cost of the conflict, which Trump began alongside Israel on Feb 28, has remained an open question on Capitol Hill and an initial US$200 billion request for additional funding met stiff opposition from lawmakers.

White House budget director Russell Vought told a hearing in April of the House of Representatives Budget Committee that he had no estimate for the cost of the war, as he defended Trump’s request for a US$1.5 trillion annual military budget.

The proposed budget reflects Republican priorities ahead of November’s midterm elections, where the party is trying to keep control of Congress but is facing growing voter anxiety over rising living costs, high energy prices and the financial burden of the Iran war.