Hegseth underestimates Iran war cost by $62.5B in Senate testimony

Published Jul 21, 08:54 PM UTC

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth testified before the Senate Appropriations Committee on July 21, 2026, claiming the total cost of the Iran war is $37.5 billion. However, U.S. intelligence officials and independent analysts estimate the actual cost exceeds $100 billion, a discrepancy of at least $62.5 billion. Senator Dick Durbin also questioned Hegseth about $75 billion in un-obligated defense funds from the previous year, which Hegseth could not account for. An independent review by Popular Information breaks down costs including $46.7 billion on munitions, $28 billion in mobilization costs, and $20.3 billion in damaged assets, not counting 42 lost or damaged aircraft. The testimony came days after three more U.S. service member deaths were announced, bringing the official toll to 17. Hegseth framed the $88 billion supplemental request as part of a 'peace through strength' strategy, though the war is widely unpopular.