Pentagon puts Iran war tab at $29B as Hegseth faces House panel

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth testified before a House committee Tuesday as the Pentagon disclosed the Iran military operation has cost American taxpayers $29 billion and counting.

The Pentagon pegged the cost of the Iran war at $29 billion during Tuesday's House testimony.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin testified before the House Armed Services Committee.
Trump's order to pull 5,000 troops from Germany has failed to shift European allies toward higher defense spending commitments.
Hegseth faced questions on operational costs, troop deployments, and the administration's broader Middle East posture.

The Pentagon put the cost of the Iran military operation at $29 billion Tuesday as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth testified before the House Armed Services Committee alongside Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin.

Hegseth faced direct questioning on the price tag and the administration's war posture in the Middle East. The $29 billion figure, disclosed during the hearing, marks the first time the Pentagon has attached a dollar total to the campaign on the record before Congress.

Separately, Trump's decision to withdraw 5,000 troops from Germany is failing to produce the pressure the administration sought on European allies to boost their own defense spending, the News confirmed. NATO partners have not moved to accelerate commitments in response to the drawdown order.

The troop reduction and the Iran cost disclosure together handed House Democrats ammunition to challenge the administration's defense budget requests for the coming fiscal year.

The Armed Services Committee is expected to continue its review of Pentagon spending and Middle East operations later this week.