The Pentagon on Tuesday revised the estimated cost of the war on Iran to nearly $29 billion, roughly $4 billion higher than the figure presented two weeks ago during Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s earlier testimony before Congress.
The updated estimate emerged during back-to-back hearings on the Pentagon’s nearly $1.45 trillion budget request for the upcoming fiscal year.
Pentagon comptroller Jay Hurst clarified that the new figure does not include the cost of repairing U.S. military facilities damaged in Iranian missile and drone attacks.
Murkowski Questions White House Claim That Hostilities Have Ended
Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski challenged the White House’s assertion that the conflict with Iran had effectively wound down, pointing to the continued heavy American military presence in the region.
“We still have 15,000 troops that are forward deployed, more than 20 warships and an active naval blockade,” Murkowski said. “In other words, it doesn’t appear that hostilities have ended.”
Murkowski also criticized the administration for not seeking congressional authorization to continue military operations against Iran and asked whether the White House intended to pursue legal approval from Congress.
Responding to her concerns, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said: “Our view is that, should the president make the decision to recommence, that we would have all the authorities necessary to do so.”
He further added that the administration believed President Trump “has all the authorities he needs under Article Two.”
Pentagon Avoids Giving Cost of Rebuilding Damaged Bases
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth declined to provide lawmakers with an estimate for rebuilding American military facilities in the Middle East damaged during Iranian attacks.
When questioned by Democratic Senator Patty Murray, Hegseth instead argued that the broader focus should remain on preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.
Earlier in the hearing, Pentagon comptroller Jay Hurst stated that the department had not yet decided which bases would be rebuilt or whether host nations would contribute to reconstruction costs.
Lindsey Graham Slams Pakistan’s Role in Iran Talks
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham voiced frustration with Pakistan’s role as a mediator between Washington and Tehran during the ongoing conflict.
“I don’t trust Pakistan as far as I can throw them,” Graham said.
His remarks followed reports that U.S. officials had accused Pakistan of allowing Iran to station military aircraft at its airfields to shield them from American airstrikes.
Both Hegseth and Gen. Dan Caine declined to comment directly on the reports, saying they did not want to interfere with ongoing negotiations.
“No wonder this damn thing is going nowhere,” Graham added.
Senators Raise Concerns Over Troop Withdrawal From Germany
Lawmakers from both parties criticized the Trump administration’s plans to withdraw 5,000 American troops from Germany, warning it could weaken U.S. alliances in Europe.
“We’re sending the wrong signal,” Democratic Senator Chris Coons said while questioning Pentagon officials.
His comments came after Republican Senator Mitch McConnell sharply criticized what he described as weakening U.S. support for Ukraine and threats to pull back from NATO.
McConnell called NATO the “most important military alliance in world history” and said America’s allies were “anxious for America to continue to defend the free world.”
“It’s a big job, and they’re looking to us. There’s nobody else who can do that,” he added.
Iran says it has responded to latest US proposal to end war
Iran has formally responded to the latest US proposal aimed at ending the conflict, according to Iranian state media, after days of renewed attacks and counterattacks across the Persian Gulf tested the fragile cease-fire.
Iranian negotiators conveyed Tehran’s response through Pakistani mediators involved in the talks, state broadcaster reports said, though no details were released about the substance of the reply or prospects for a broader agreement.
Iranian officials have indicated that discussions are focused on a temporary arrangement that would pause hostilities for another 30 days and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has blockaded during the conflict. The United States and Iran are expected to use the pause to negotiate a more comprehensive deal.
President Donald Trump had announced a temporary cease-fire last month, suspending the joint US-Israeli military campaign launched in late February against Iran. However, despite the truce remaining largely intact, intermittent clashes have continued across the region.
On Sunday, the UAE said it had again come under attack from Iranian drones following a series of Iranian strikes earlier this week. Days earlier, the US military said American warships had fired on Iranian coastal military facilities after coming under attack.
One of the key sticking points remains Iran’s nuclear programme. Israel and the United States continue to insist that Iran must give up its stockpile of highly enriched uranium, much of which international inspectors believe remains buried beneath bombed nuclear facilities.
Trump, who previously said he “didn’t really care” about the uranium because it was buried “so far underground,” appeared to shift tone in a fresh interview, saying the US would “get that at some point.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also signalled that the conflict was far from resolved.
“There is still nuclear material, enriched uranium, that has to be taken out of Iran,” Netanyahu said in an interview with CBS’s “60 Minutes.” “There’s still enrichment sites that have to be dismantled. There are still proxies that Iran supports. There are ballistic missiles that they still want to produce.”
Cory Booker says he supports Israel militarily, but not this war
US Senator Cory Booker said he continues to support Israel’s military edge in the region but opposes providing additional weapons for the current war with Iran.
Booker, who last month joined 39 other Democrats in voting to block certain arms sales to Israel, clarified his stance during an interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”
“We have a longstanding commitment to Israel having a qualitative military edge. I will continue to support that,” Booker said.
However, he added: “In the context of this war, I will not support more military armaments to conduct what I think is a disaster that’s endangering American lives, Israeli lives, and as we see in the U.A.E. and Saudi Arabia, our regional allies as well.”
Trump says US is monitoring Iran’s uranium stockpile
President Donald Trump said the United States is closely monitoring Iran’s remaining enriched uranium stockpile and warned that Washington would act if anyone attempted to access it.
Speaking in an interview released Sunday on the syndicated programme “Full Measure,” Trump said the US remained focused on ensuring Iran could not develop a nuclear weapon.
While Trump has repeatedly praised the strikes carried out on Iranian nuclear facilities, concerns persist among international inspectors that significant quantities of near-bomb-grade uranium remain buried underground.
Last month, Trump had downplayed the issue, saying he “didn’t really care” about the uranium because it was deeply buried. But in the latest interview, he said the United States was keeping the site under surveillance.
“If anybody got near the place, we will know about it, and we’ll blow them up,” Trump said.
Republican senator says Iran must give up enriched uranium
US Senator David McCormick said Iran would have to abandon its enriched uranium stockpile and nuclear ambitions as part of any agreement to end the conflict.
McCormick, who chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on the Near East, suggested that military pressure could continue if Tehran refused to comply.
“They need to give up their enriched uranium, give up their nuclear weapons, and the path to nuclear weapons,” McCormick said during an interview on Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures With Maria Bartiromo.”
“It’s unclear whether they’re going to go down a path of reason,” he added. “If they don’t, the president has made clear that we have the military capability to put additional pressure in place.”
Netanyahu says war with Iran ‘not over’
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the conflict with Iran remains unfinished despite the cease-fire announced last month.
In a preview of an interview with CBS News’ “60 Minutes,” Netanyahu said Israel still wanted Iran’s enriched uranium removed and its nuclear infrastructure dismantled.
“I think it accomplished a great deal, but it’s not over because there is still nuclear material, enriched uranium, that has to be taken out of Iran,” Netanyahu said.
Asked how the material could be removed, he replied: “You go in and you take it.”
Netanyahu also said Trump had expressed willingness to take further action.
“I want to go in there,” Netanyahu quoted Trump as saying.
The Israeli leader insisted removing the uranium would not be difficult.
“If you have an agreement and you go in and you take it out, why not?” he said. “That’s the best way.”
