“$25 billion is probably less than half, maybe less than a quarter of the total cost of this war. And there's no pause button in the Constitution or the War Powers Act.
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Hegseth Grilled by Congress on Iran War Costs; Pentagon Reveals $25 Billion Price Tag
April 29, 2026
On April 29-30, 2026, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth faced congressional testimony for the first time since the US went to war with Iran in late February. The hearings — first before the House Armed Services Committee, then before the Senate Armed Services Committee — were contentious, with Democrats attacking the war's legality, strategy, and cost. The Pentagon disclosed for the first time that the Iran war has cost approximately $25 billion to date. Democrats argued the figure dramatically understates the true cost, which they said includes surging oil prices, increased consumer goods prices, and long-term strategic damage. Hegseth defended the operation as necessary to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon and attacked critics as defeatist. The hearings came on the same day the 60-day War Powers Resolution deadline arrived, with the Trump administration separately claiming the ceasefire had "terminated" hostilities and thus the legal clock. Several Republican senators said they still expect a war authorization vote, while Democrats called for an immediate end to the conflict.
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“The biggest challenge, the biggest adversary we face at this point are the reckless, feckless and defeatist words of congressional Democrats and some Republicans. Two months in, on an existential fight for the safety of the American people — Iran cannot have a nuclear bomb.
“Everything I have seen, you have surpassed all of my expectations and I just want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart.
“Secretary Hegseth, you have been lying to the American public about this war from day one and so has the president. This is a geopolitical calamity, a strategic blunder, and a self-inflicted wound to America.
“Your $25 billion number is totally off. Do you know how much it will cost Americans in terms of their increased cost in gas and food over the next year because of the Iran war?