Hegseth says potential $200 billion Iran war spending request could shift: 'Takes money to kill bad guys'

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Thursday that the Pentagon's reported $200 billion budget request for Iran war funding "could move.""It takes money to kill bad guys," Hegseth said at a press briefing when asked to confirm the figure, which The Washington Post first reported Wednesday evening."We're going back to Congress and our folks there to ensure that we're properly funded," Hegseth said.MS Now, citing two congressional officials, reported earlier Thursday morning that a funding request of up to $200 billion has been informally raised by the Trump administration, though no official ask of Congress has yet been made. The figure "has been discussed informally by administration officials," Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., who sits on the Senate Armed Services Committee, told MS Now in a phone interview.House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole, R-Okla., responding to a CNBC question Thursday, said he has "not heard anything official from anybody" on the $200 billion number. But he said the figure could also include things that would otherwise be sought in the fiscal 2027 spending bill. The acknowledgment that a massive supplemental request is in the offing could signal that the U.S. — which has spent roughly $1 billion per day on the war so far, per some estimates — is preparing for a longer fight than the administration's previously floated four-to-six-week timeline.Hegseth on Thursday declined to say when the U.S. expects to achieve its objectives in Iran. "It will be at the president's choosing, ultimately, where we say, 'Hey, we've achieved what we need to on behalf of the American people to ensure our security,'" he said. "So no time set on that, but we're very much on track."U.S. military operations against Iran, which began Feb. 28, have already cost $12 billion as of Sunday, according to Kevin Hassett, director of the White House's National Economic Council.Hassett, speaking on CBS News' "Face the Nation," said at that time that he did not think the U.S. needed to ask Congress for more money for the war effort "right now."The Post's report, citing an unnamed senior administration official, said the Pentagon has asked the White House to approve a more-than-$200 billion request to Congress to fund the intensifying war effort.The massive figure would increase production of the critical munitions that the U.S. and Israel have used to strike thousands of targets since the conflict began, three other people familiar with the matter told the Post.The U.S.'s rapidly accelerating national debt has reached a record $39 trillion, the Treasury Department said Wednesday. The trend runs counter to President Donald Trump's pledges to cut government spending.Hegseth said Thursday that the forthcoming request to Congress will ensure the U.S. military is funded "for what's been done, for what we may have to do in the future [and to] ensure that our ammunition is — everything's refilled, and not just refilled, but above and beyond."The U.S. has so far struck more than 7,000 targets across Iran, the secretary said, while signaling that the operations would only increase in the days to come."Today, will be the largest strike package yet, just like yesterday was," he said. "Our capabilities continue to build, Iran's continue to degrade. We're hunting and striking. Death and destruction from above."Hegseth peppered his briefing remarks with attacks on U.S. news outlets, claiming that they "want President Trump to fail."He also lashed out at "our ungrateful allies in Europe," echoing Trump's recent criticisms of NATO countries that have so far refused to involve themselves in the war.Trump has called on those and other allies to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a key oil-shipping route whose de facto closure amid the war has contributed to a surge in global oil prices.He has expressed frustration with the situation. In a Truth Social post Wednesday, he suggested handing responsibility for the strait to the countries that rely on it the most: "That would get some of our non-responsive 'Allies' in gear, and fast!!!"Shortly after Hegseth's swipe at U.S. allies, the leaders of six of them — the U.K., France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Japan — expressed "readiness to contribute to appropriate efforts to ensure safe passage through the Strait.""We welcome the commitment of nations who are engaging in preparatory planning," they said in a joint statement, which also urged Iran to immediately cease its efforts to block the waterway to commercial shipping.Trump is scheduled to meet with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi later Thursday.— CNBC's Emily Wilkins contributed to this report.Got a confidential news tip? We want to hear from you.Sign up for free newsletters and get more CNBC delivered to your inboxGet this delivered to your inbox, and more info about our products and services.© 2026 Versant Media, LLC.

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