By Shelby Holliday and Marcus Weisgerber
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the Pentagon planned to request money from Congress to pay for Operation Epic Fury and replenish munitions that have been fired during the nearly three weeks of fighting in the Middle East.
"It takes money to kill bad guys," Hegseth told reporters at the Pentagon Thursday. "So we are going back to Congress and our folks there to ensure that we are properly funded for what's been done, for what we may have to do in the future."
Hegseth said the amount of money could change, but didn't dispute that the Pentagon was asking for around $200 billion, a figure that was earlier reported by the Washington Post. "As far as $200 billion, I think that number could move," he said.
The extra money, which would be in addition to the Pentagon's annual budget for 2026 already approved by Congress, would "ensure that we're properly funded for what's been done, for what we may have to do in the future," Hegseth said. The first six days of strikes cost roughly $11.3 billion, Acting Pentagon Comptroller Jules Hurst said at an industry conference on Tuesday.
The request is sure to meet resistance on Capitol Hill. The Trump administration has largely bypassed Congress in attacking Iran, and Democrats have questioned Trump's strategy and demanded more congressional oversight of the war.
"The Iran War will cost $200B. Prices in the U.S. are spiking. The Middle East is on fire. A dozen soldiers are dead, more to come. And for what? Iran's new leaders are worse than the old ones, and they will keep their missile, drone and nuclear programs," Sen. Chris Murphy (D., Conn.) said on X.
Republicans have largely supported the operation, though some have raised concerns about how long it will last and the impact on energy prices. Some have also expressed nervousness about the potential to put boots on the ground in Iran.
Write to Shelby Holliday at shelby.holliday@wsj.com and Marcus Weisgerber at marcus.weisgerber@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
March 19, 2026 09:45 ET (13:45 GMT)
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