US spending on the ongoing military campaign against Iran has so far reached $37.5 billion, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told a hearing of the Senate Appropriations Committee.
Hegseth said the cost of the war had risen by about $8 billion compared with the last published estimate. The figure includes projected spending through September 30, the end of the current fiscal year, he said.
It was the defense secretary’s first appearance before lawmakers in Congress to explain the cost of the war since the US military campaign against Iran resumed this month. Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Dan Caine appeared alongside him at the hearing.
Several senators raised questions at the hearing about the rising cost of the war, its economic impact and military strategy. Critics say a prolonged conflict with Iran could increase the financial pressure on the United States further.
According to the latest defence department figures, the $37.5 billion estimate was arrived at by taking into account both the conduct of the war and projected military spending over the coming months. The scale of the outlay has caused discontent among some Americans.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report