Swapna Kumbar , Bengaluru - US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth says the war against Iran has cost the United States about $37.5 billion so far, as American strikes continued for an 11th consecutive day. He gave the estimate while defending a fresh Pentagon funding request before the Senate Appropriations Committee.

Hegseth said the figure covers military operations through the present day, along with some expected costs such as pay through the end of September, though it is still unclear whether damage to US bases is included. The estimate is a sharp rise from the roughly $29 billion the Pentagon said in mid-May, underlining how quickly the war is consuming money, weapons and personnel.

The latest strikes came as the US kept up pressure on Iran in an effort to weaken its ability to attack shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. At the same time, Iran has continued to claim retaliatory attacks on US-linked sites across the region, showing that the conflict is still spreading beyond Iran’s borders.

The $37.5 billion estimate shows the war is becoming not just a military burden but a major financial one for Washington. With strikes still continuing and no clear end in sight, the costs of the conflict appear likely to keep rising.