At a Senate budget hearing on Tuesday, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth estimated that the war with Iran had so far cost $37.5 billion.
During a hearing of the Senate Appropriations Committee on Capitol Hill, Hegseth said the $37.5 billion was not only for the cost of military equipment used, and included expenses such as meals.
The hearing was to consider a request for supplemental funding of around $67 billion for the war, which Hegseth said was an "urgent, necessary injection of resources", as well as $1.5 trillion for next year's military budget.
"Without these funds, we face critical shortfalls," Hegseth testified.
Democratic Senator Patty Murphy warned of "another forever war".
