Pentagon requests massive $80B boost as Iran war costs mount
WASHINGTON, DC: The Department of War has reportedly demanded $80 billion from Congress to cover costs associated with the Iran conflict and other unrelated expenses.
The initial estimate of war costs for the US was $25 billion. However, the full cost of the conflict, which began in late February, has remained an open question on Capitol Hill.
Defense secretary demands additional fund to sustain war
In recent calls with lawmakers, Deputy Defense Secretary Stephen Feinberg said that the Pentagon needs additional funding to sustain military operations linked to the Iran conflict and cover a range of other expenses.
The Wall Street Journal's Friday, June 19, report comes on the heels of lawmakers pressing President Donald Trump's administration to provide a detailed price tag for the war, which started in late February.
There has been bipartisan concern over the depletion of the valuable munitions stockpiles during the Iran war and the potential impact on America’s ability to fight back against other global threats.
According to the Pentagon leaders, the department might run out of funding if Congress doesn’t approve the additional monetary assistance. The lack of money can result in impacted operations as early as this summer.
The Wall Street Journal further revealed that the cumulative impact of the US-Iran war and the deployment of troops on the US-Mexican border pushed the armed services to scale back training activities and other key programs.
US Army grapples with rising cost
The US Army is grappling with the rising cost not only from the US-Iran war but from several other operations carried out this year. In mid-May, the Pentagon had predicted the cost to stand at around $29 billion, a figure that has likely risen since then.
Additional costs have stemmed from the operation in Venezuela that resulted in the capture of the country's leader, as well as ongoing missions targeting suspected illicit vessels in the Caribbean Sea and the eastern Pacific Ocean.
An initial $200 billion funding request was met with sharp opposition from lawmakers.
The Pentagon is reportedly confident in the plan that Feinberg has briefed lawmakers on in recent days, the report noted, and added that the money will go to ship operations, personnel pay and munitions, among other things.
