Senate Democrats seek full accounting of Iran war costs

Senators seek cost details

Forty-six Democratic senators asked Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in a Sept. 17 letter for a detailed accounting of U.S. military spending on the war in Iran. Sen. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan led the effort.

The senators requested the total cost of military operations, including estimates for repairing U.S. bases, replacing destroyed air and naval equipment, and restoring ships and aircraft worn down during seven months of war. They said Congress has not received the level of fiscal information and briefings that defense officials gave during previous wars.

Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania was the only Senate Democrat who did not sign. Fetterman said he has consistently disagreed with fellow Democrats over how to hold Iran accountable and continues to support confronting the Iranian government and its proxies.

The Pentagon did not immediately comment, NBC News reported.

Funding and competing estimates

Congress is considering a Pentagon request for billion in additional funding. The senators asked for an itemized explanation of that request and an accounting of how the department has used roughly billion included in the tax and spending law President Donald Trump signed last year.

Several government estimates use different scopes. A Defense Department inspector general report put the cost at about billion through June 30, excluding repairs to damaged facilities and other expenses. The Congressional Budget Office estimated the cost at billion and concluded that the conflict was increasing inflation for Americans.

At a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing in late July, Hegseth estimated the cost at billion. He said that figure covered payroll, operations, maintenance and other expected expenses through the end of the budget year.