The United States Pentagon is requesting about $200 billion in additional funding for the ongoing Iran war. This figure nearly doubles the amount spent in funding for Ukraine since the Russian invasion in February 2022, according to the special inspector-general report.
The Pentagon had requested the White House to endorse the $200 billion proposal to Congress, the Washington Post reported yesterday night.
During a White House event on Thursday, US President Donald Trump verified the request.
Trump responded that it was a “very volatile war” when asked why so much money was required considering that he had predicted the conflict would end shortly.
“We are being very judicious,” he said.
“We want to have vast amounts of ammunition, but it was taken down by giving so much to Ukraine.”
Since the start of the conflict, Congress has authorised $188 billion in funding for Ukraine; as of last December, roughly $110 billion had been spent, according to the special inspector general report.
“We want to be in the best shape, the best shape we’ve ever been in. It’s a small price to pay to make sure that we stay tippy-top,” Trump added.
When asked, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth stated that “it takes money to kill bad guys,” although he did not specifically confirm the figure.
Hegseth said the department needed more money for “what we may have to do in the future”.
“This kind of funding bill is going to ensure that we’re properly funded going forward,” he said.
READ ALSO: War Escalation: Trump, US Mulls Massive Troop Deployment to Iran
The timeframe for the war has been unclear. When the US and Israel struck Iran on February 28, Trump predicted the war could last four to five weeks but noted it could take longer.
The US president stated last week that the war might soon come to a conclusion. But according to an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) official, “Iran will determine when the war ends.”
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