Pentagon seeks billions from Congress as concerns grow over Iran war

WASHINGTON— The Trump administration called on Congress on Tuesday to approve nearly $70 billion in emergency defense funding to maintain U.S. military capabilities amid the escalating war against Iran, warning that without it the Pentagon could face “critical shortfalls” that would impair its readiness.

The request came as the United States and Iran traded attacks for 10 consecutive days over a renewed conflict, deepening concerns in Washington about a widening war that could inflame the global economy and drag the president into a quagmire.

The collapse of a ceasefire agreement and sudden resumption of war has raised alarms about the Pentagon’s ability to protect US forces and assets in the Middle East through a protracted conflict as defensive munitions are dangerously scarce, two Defense Department officials told The Times.

But the administration faces bipartisan skepticism from lawmakers over the continuation of a war that is unpopular with the vast majority of Americans, over which they have little control, and that has left U.S. soldiers dead in recent days.

Those tensions became clear as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine testified before the Senate Appropriations Committee to defend the tens of billions of dollars in litigation and make the first in-depth public statement about the war since May.

Hegseth told senators that the United States was “at a time when we cannot afford inaction,” while Caine argued that the funding request would come to Congress “while time is still on our side.”

“It is critical that we stay ahead of our enemies and we must have the funds before we run out of time,” Caine said.

The cost of the war to Americans is expected to rise from $29 billion in early May to $37.5 billion, Hegseth said. The war, which President Trump initially predicted would last four to five weeks, is now entering its fifth month.

Senators from both parties signaled their disappointment with the administration’s plans in a resolution with no end in sight.

Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), the top Democrat on the Appropriations Committee, said Democrats would not support more funding for the war.

“This administration’s refusal to explain what it is doing or how this war is protecting Americans, its refusal to ask Congress for permission, and its expectations that Americans will pay for all of this without any explanation or transparency, is disrespectful,” he said.

Republican lawmakers also confronted Hegseth and Caine on several fronts.

Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) told Pentagon leaders that lawmakers “need some straight answers and frank conversations” about the administration’s plans to ensure Iran does not obstruct traffic in the Strait of Hormuz.

Asked whether Iran would impose tolls on commercial ships passing through the vital waterway, Caine said it was a “hypothetical” scenario, an answer Kennedy dismissed.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) also pressed Hegseth, asking whether the administration still takes the position that congressional authorization is not required to continue hostilities against Iran.

“Senator, I know there has been a long-running legal debate on this particular issue, but we certainly share the view with the White House that we as a department have all the necessary authority at this time,” Hegseth said.

Murkowski’s remarks came just weeks after Republicans joined Democrats in both the House and Senate in voting to reassert Congress’ constitutional role in the war, underscoring growing tensions over Trump’s decision to sideline Congress on the issue.

Hours before the hearing, Trump downplayed concerns about the war’s impact on midterm elections and other threats in the war, as the Houthis, an Iran-backed militia group in Yemen, declared a naval blockade of Saudi Arabia on Monday.

Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump said, “Nothing like this has ever happened. It may happen, but if something like this happens, we will take precautions.”

Trump said Iranian leaders were “desperately” trying to reach a deal to end the war, but he had no interest in meeting with them until he was convinced the talks would be “meaningful.”

“If we leave now, it will take 20 to 25 years to rebuild Iran. We’re not done yet,” Trump said. “We’re not leaving right now.”

Asked if he thought Iran was trying to influence the midterm elections by threatening the Strait of Hormuz, Trump said “probably.”

“It won’t affect me,” he said. “I can’t imagine the election has anything to do with it.”

The agreement reached between the US and Iran in June proposed ending the US naval blockade of Iranian ports and US sanctions on Iranian oil exports in exchange for Tehran allowing unrestricted commercial shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. But the deal fell through when Iran opened fire on merchant ships and implemented a toll system that did not exist before the war began.

The agreement was supposed to create a structure for further negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program, which was the main target of the campaign that the United States launched jointly with Israel in February.

Much of Iran’s nuclear infrastructure was disrupted in a US attack last year that targeted three major facilities. But the fissile material needed to make nuclear weapons remains in the country under US satellite surveillance. Iran has vowed to continue its civilian nuclear work.

“What about these people? They’re in this because of nuclear weapons and they’re probably trying to recreate an area? We’re going to hit that area. We’re going to hit very, very hard any area that they’re even thinking about going nuclear,” Trump said.

As the war expands, concerns grow about the infrastructure that civilians in neighboring countries rely on for water and electricity.

Iranian officials said US strikes hit the Bunji desalination plant on Iran’s southeastern coast, leaving 20 villages with around 10,000 people without water, Iran’s semi-official news agency Tasnim reported.

Meanwhile, the Kuwaiti government announced that its power plants and desalination plants were hit by Iran on Monday; This marked the fourth consecutive day of attacks on a key source of drinking water for the small desert nation.

The attacks spurred the Kuwaiti government to launch an advertising campaign over the weekend urging citizens to reduce water and electricity use, especially during peak hours between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m.

A concerted campaign targeting desalination plants would be devastating for both Iran and the Persian Gulf states it has flooded with drones and missiles since the beginning of the war.

Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia are among the eight countries in the world suffering from water shortage. According to the Washington DC-based Water Resources Institute, Israel ranks 9th and Iran ranks 14th.

They all experience “absolute water scarcity,” according to measurements used by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization.

Times writer Nabih Bulos in Beirut contributed to this report.