Lawmakers express concern as Trump officials project that $50 billion more could be needed to fund the Iran war.
Posted on March 12, 2026
President Donald Trump’s administration officials estimated during a congressional briefing this week that the first six days of the war with Iran had cost the United States at least $11.3 billion, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters news agency.
That figure, drawn from a closed-door briefing for senators on Tuesday, did not include the full cost of the war, but was provided to lawmakers as they clamored for more information on the cost.
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Several congressional aides have said they expect the White House to soon submit a request to Congress for additional war funds. Some officials have said the request could be $50 billion, while others have said the estimate appears low.
The administration has not provided a public assessment of the cost of the conflict or a clear idea of its expected duration. Trump said during a trip to Kentucky on Wednesday that “we won” the war but that the United States would remain in the fight to finish the job.
The $11.3 billion figure was first reported Wednesday by The New York Times.
The human cost
The US-Israel war against Iran has so far killed about 2,000 people, mostly Iranians and Lebanese, as the conflict has spread across the Middle East, with Iranian retaliatory attacks on neighboring countries hosting US assets sending energy prices soaring.
The United Nations children’s agency (UNICEF) says the “intensifying conflict” has killed or injured 1,100 children, creating a “catastrophic” situation for millions of children across the Middle East.
Around 800,000 people have already been displaced in Lebanon by relentless Israeli bombing.
Administration officials have also told lawmakers that $5.6 billion in munitions were used during the first two days of attacks.
Members of Congress, who will soon have to approve additional funds for the war, have expressed concern that the conflict will deplete US military stocks at a time when the defense industry was already struggling to keep up with demand.
Democratic lawmakers have demanded sworn public testimony from administration officials about the Republican president’s plans for the war, including how long it might last and what his plans are for Iran once the fighting has stopped.
Trump said Wednesday that the war with Iran could end “soon” because “there is virtually nothing left” for the US military to bomb. He provided no evidence for that claim.
