WASHINGTON — The Pentagon has asked the White House to approve a funding request exceeding $200 billion to present to Congress to sustain the war in Iran, The Washington Post reported on Wednesday, citing a senior administration official.
The request aims to fund the military campaign that began on February 28 and ramp up production of weapons used during the conflict, three people familiar with the matter told the Post.
Ongoing Discussions
The Defence Department has proposed different funding packages over the past two weeks, the outlet reported, though some White House officials were skeptical that the request had “a realistic shot of being approved in Congress.”
The Pentagon did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the report.
Dwarfing Earlier Estimates
The reported figure dwarfs earlier public estimates of the war’s cost. White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett said on Sunday that more than $12 billion had been spent in the first two weeks of the campaign, while a New York Times report cited a Pentagon briefing that put the cost at more than $11.3 billion in just the first six days.
Earlier in the campaign, the administration had projected confidence about existing stockpiles. Hassett said the US had “the weapons already in place” and might not need a congressional supplemental budget at all.
Munitions Supply Questions
Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth had also dismissed reports of munitions shortages, claiming the US had a “nearly unlimited stockpile” of precision bombs.
However, the massive funding request suggests that sustaining the campaign over the long term may require significant new appropriations, particularly as weapons inventories are drawn down and production capacity needs to be expanded.
Conflict Context
The US-Israeli strikes on Iran have reportedly killed around 1,300 people, including former supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The campaign has involved extensive use of precision-guided munitions, drones, and other advanced weaponry.
Congressional Outlook
The request, if formally submitted, would face an uncertain path in Congress, where lawmakers have grown increasingly divided over foreign military commitments. Some White House officials expressed skepticism about its chances of approval, though the administration is expected to press for funding to continue the campaign.
The scale of the request—more than double the entire annual budget of some federal departments—would mark one of the largest single supplemental funding requests for a military campaign in recent years.
