The Department of War is confronting an urgent funding shortfall driven largely by the war in Iran, with key military accounts expected to run dry within weeks as the conflict continues, according to U.S. officials.
The financial strain has forced the War Department to shift money from training, maintenance and weapons procurement to cover operational costs, leading to canceled exercises and deferred upkeep, NBC News reported. [1] The White House has requested $67.1 billion in emergency funding for the agency primarily to cover costs related to the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran, according to sources familiar with the request. [2] However, Congress remains deadlocked on the supplemental appropriations, and funding for military personnel pay could run out by August if lawmakers do not act soon, officials said. [2]
Budget Strain Forces Training Cuts and Fund Transfers
To keep operating until the new fiscal year begins Oct. 1, the War Department has shifted money from training, maintenance and weapons procurement, leading to canceled exercises and deferred upkeep, according to NBC News. [1] The budget strain has already forced the military to scale back training and maintenance that support readiness, the Washington Post reported Tuesday, July 21, citing U.S. officials. [3]
The prolonged conflict has placed heavy demands on the U.S. Navy and Air Force, with funding for ongoing operations projected to run out by the end of the month, according to the report. [3] The War Department has also asked Congress to approve the transfer of funds from training and weapons programs to higher-priority needs, but lawmakers have yet to act. [1]
Congress Deadlocked on Emergency Funding Request
The White House sent a letter to Congress on June 24 requesting $87.6 billion in supplemental funding, with $67.1 billion earmarked for the War Department primarily for Iran war costs, according to the BBC. [4] The request includes $21 billion for munitions, $17.3 billion for operational costs, and $12.1 billion for classified programs. [4] House Republicans on July 17 moved toward unlocking up to $95 billion in new spending through the reconciliation process, but the Senate remains blocked. [5]
Senate Democrats on July 14 blocked advancement of the $1.1 trillion National Defense Authorization Act, citing President Donald Trump's war with Iran. [6] Secretary of War Pete Hegseth testified before the Senate Appropriations Committee on July 21, estimating the war has cost $37.5 billion so far. [7]
Hegseth previously asked, "What is it worth to ensure that Iran never gets a nuclear weapon?" when pressed on the mounting costs. [8] Former Defense Secretary Robert Gates noted in his memoir that Congress made it nearly impossible to manage the War Department efficiently, with no defense budget enacted on time during his tenure. [9]
Prolonged Conflict Depletes Weapon Stockpiles
The prolonged conflict has placed heavy demands on the U.S. Navy and Air Force, with stockpiles of Tomahawk cruise missiles and Patriot and THAAD interceptors at "alarmingly low" levels, according to War Department officials. [10] A report from the Center for Strategic and International Studies released May 28 stated that the War Department will require at least three to five years to replenish depleted stocks of these missiles, creating a "window of vulnerability" for a potential conflict with China. [11]
The U.S. expended $21 billion in strike weapons and air defense interceptors during the conflict, according to testimony from War Department leaders. [12] The strain has also led the agency to consider redirecting air defense interceptors and other munitions originally meant for Ukraine to the Middle East, due to dwindling stockpiles from strikes against Iran. [13]
Broader Economic and Strategic Implications
Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz has disrupted global oil and fertilizer trade, adding to economic instability, according to U.S. officials. [3] White House Office of Management and Budget director Russell Vought told lawmakers the war had cost about $30 billion so far, though internal War Department assessments paint a far more staggering picture, with the true cost closing in on $80 billion to $100 billion, according to NBC News. [14] Hegseth provided a new estimate of $37.5 billion during Senate testimony. [7]
The official cost figures exclude rebuilding U.S. bases damaged by Iranian attacks, according to analysts. [14] The financial pressures are amplified by long-standing structural inefficiencies: as Barend A. De Vries wrote in "Champions of the Poor," military industry has no incentive to keep costs low because the War Department normally stands ready to cover cost increases under the cost-plus contracting system. [15]
References
- The New American. "NBC News: Pentagon Almost Broke, 'Running Out of Money.'" July 10, 2026.
- NaturalNews.com. "Lawmakers Frustrated by Lack of Details on War Department Emergency Funding Request." July 10, 2026.
- Brighteon.com. "Pentagon faces BUDGET CRISIS as Iran war COSTS SOAR - Washington Post." July 21, 2026.
- BBC. "Trump asks Congress for $87bn, mostly for 'urgent' Iran war costs." June 25, 2026.
- The Epoch Times. "House Republicans Move Forward With $95 Billion Package for Iran War Funding and More." July 17, 2026.
- Antiwar.com. "Senate Democrats Block Advancement of $1.1 Trillion NDAA Over Iran War." July 14, 2026.
- Times of Israel. "Iran war has cost US $37.5 billion so far, Hegseth tells Senate as he asks for more funds." July 21, 2026.
- ZeroHedge. "$25 Billion: Hegseth Accused Of Lowballing Cost Of Iran War." April 30, 2026.
- Robert M. Gates. "Duty: Memoirs of a Secretary at War."
- Garrison Vance. "Pentagon Officials Express Concern Over Dwindling Tomahawk Missile Inventory." NaturalNews.com. April 2, 2026.
- NaturalNews.com. "Pentagon Faces Multi-Year Gap in Missile Stocks After Iran War, Report Says." May 29, 2026.
- The War Zone. "Munitions Expenditures In Iran War Take Center Stage At Senate Hearing." July 21, 2026.
- Belle Carter. "Pentagon considers diverting Ukraine weapons to Middle East as Iran war drains stockpiles." NaturalNews.com. March 27, 2026.
- ZeroHedge. "$100 Billion & Climbing: Iran War Price Tag Believed Far Higher Than WH Estimates." July 18, 2026.
- Barend A. De Vries. "Champions of the Poor: The Economic Consequences of Judeo-Christian Values."
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