Key Takeaways
- US defense secretary Pete Hegseth disclosed the war on Iran has cost $37.5bn so far.
- Lawmakers express outrage over the escalating costs and recent deaths of American service members.
- Pete Hegseth defends the Trump administration’s funding request, calling it urgent.
US defense secretary Pete Hegseth has revealed that the ongoing war with Iran has cost $37.5 billion so far, as he addressed lawmakers in a Senate hearing.
The disclosure comes amid growing frustration among US legislators over the escalating costs and recent deaths of American service members during the conflict.
Hegseth defended the Trump administration’s request for roughly $88 billion in supplemental funding, describing it as “urgent and necessary” to continue operations.
Lawmakers expressed their concerns, with one senator warning that the situation could become another ‘forever war’ if not managed properly.
The Iranian foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, has provided a personal account of surviving the US-Israeli airstrike that killed Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei.
Araghchi described his experience as harrowing, recounting how he was pulled from the rubble and had to constantly move around Tehran for safety.
Ordinary Iranians have reported that life in their country has become increasingly difficult under the ongoing airstrikes, repression, and water shortages.
Meanwhile, New York’s mayor, Zohran Mamdani, acknowledged his inability to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu but urged US federal authorities to take action if Netanyahu visits the United States later this year.
The White House announced that American airline carriers will be able to resume direct flights to Lebanon after a 40-year suspension, marking a potential easing of tensions in the region.
