Khaberni - Wall Street Journal cited informed sources stating that U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense Stephen Feinberg advised lawmakers in phone calls this week that the Department of Defense needs $80 billion to cover the costs of the war on Iran and other unrelated expenses.
The newspaper added that a full supplemental funding request, which includes Pentagon funding as well as non-defense priorities like agricultural assistance and disaster relief, might be sent to lawmakers in the coming days.
Reuters could not immediately verify the report, and it was not possible to get a comment from the White House or Pentagon outside of regular business hours when Reuters reached out.
A Pentagon official told Reuters in April that the Iran war had cost about $25 billion, providing the first official estimate of the war's costs.
The full cost of the conflict, which was initiated by Trump in cooperation with Israel on February 28, remains a question in Congress, with an initial request for an additional $200 billion in funding facing strong opposition from lawmakers.
In April, White House Office of Budget director Russell Vought stated during a House Budget Committee hearing that he had no estimates for the war's cost, defending Trump's request for an annual military budget of $1.5 trillion.
The proposed budget reflects the Republican Party's priorities ahead of the upcoming midterm elections in November as the party tries to maintain its control over Congress but faces increasing concern from voters about rising living costs, energy prices, and the financial burden of the Iran war.
