United States Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has stated that the official cost of the US-Israel war on Iran has reached $37.5 billion to date. He confirmed this figure during a Senate appropriations committee hearing on Tuesday, July 21, 2026, where he and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine were questioned about their request for a $1.5 trillion US defense budget, which includes nearly $70 billion allocated for the war with Iran.

Hegseth appeared before the committee amid ongoing fighting between the US and Iran, following the collapse of a memorandum of understanding that had halted attacks since June 17. The conflict, initiated by the US and Israel on February 28, has placed strains on the US weapons stockpile, as referenced by Hegseth in his opening statements.

Earlier on Monday, ahead of the tenth consecutive night of US strikes, former President Trump stated that Iran would "pay" after two more US soldiers were killed over the weekend.

Additional context from the hearing included remarks that Israel has expressed no interest in joining the US war on Iran, according to Israeli official Smotrich, and Trump’s vow to assist Lebanon without specifying a timeline for Israeli withdrawal.

Sources