Pentagon seeks $80 billion from Congress. Photo Credit: APThe Pentagon has told US senators it needs roughly $80 billion in additional funding, largely to cover costs associated with the war against Iran, according to people familiar with the discussions, as the Trump administration prepares a broader push for higher defence spending.The White House Office of Management and Budget has not yet submitted a formal request to Congress. However, defence secretary Pete Hegseth has been lobbying lawmakers on Capitol Hill, while deputy defence secretary Stephen Feinberg briefed senators on the proposed funding package last week, according to two people familiar with the matter. The Wall Street Journal first reported the development.According to AP, the request comes as President Donald Trump seeks a record $1.5 trillion Pentagon budget, representing a significant increase from current spending levels.Senate majority leader John Thune said he expected a supplemental funding request related to the Iran conflict.“We’ll work through it and see where the votes are,” Thune saidHe added that replenishing military supplies remained a priority. “We need to make sure we’re doing everything we can to replenish, resupply a lot our munitions that have been depleted — not only just with what’s happening with Iran, but prior to that,” he said, according to AP.According to lawmakers, Feinberg informed congressional committees that the $80 billion proposal had been forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget.The funding request faces opposition from some Democrats, who have criticised both the war and the prospect of additional military spending.“You’re spending families’ hard-earned tax dollars on a war that many strongly oppose,” democratic senator Patty Murray told Hegseth during a senate hearing last month.Republicans are seeking to secure about $1.1 trillion through the regular appropriations process and a further $350 billion through separate legislation later this year.The proposed $80 billion package is significantly higher than the $29 billion war-cost estimate Hegseth presented to Congress last month. That figure primarily covered munitions replacement, equipment repairs and operational expenses. Earlier in the conflict, Pentagon officials had floated an estimate of as much as $200 billion, while the first week of the war alone was estimated to have cost $11.3 billion.Democratic senator Brian Schatz told the news agency that he believed the final price tag could exceed current estimates.“I haven't found anyone who wants to do this,” Schatz said, referring to support for an Iran-focused funding bill.Hegseth declined to answer questions from reporters on Monday. However, during a Senate hearing last month, he defended the costs associated with the conflict, asking: “What is the cost of Iran obtaining a nuclear weapon?”He added that the president’s decision to confront Iran “comes with cost — and we recognize that.”The administration is expected to formally submit its funding request in the coming weeks, setting up what could be a contentious debate in Congress over war spending, defence priorities and domestic budget pressures.