Pentagon Seeks $1.5 Trillion Budget Despite No Iran War Exit Strategy

Military Leaders Admit No Iran War Plan During Congressional Hearing

For the first time since the U.S. began bombing Iran two weeks prior, top military officials testified before Congress on today’s House Armed Services Committee hearing. The key revelation: there is no concrete strategy to end the conflict. Instead, the Pentagon is pushing for a substantial budget increase.

Pentagon Demands $1.5 Trillion Budget for 2027

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, General Dan Caine, and Comptroller of the Army Jules Hurst argued that a $1.5 trillion Pentagon budget for 2027 is essential for American security. This request comes just one year after the military budget first exceeded $1 trillion in 2026.

Hegseth emphasized the need for an additional $500 million annually to build a “lethal arsenal of freedom,” claiming it would ensure military dominance and bolster the “American economic engine.”

Chairman Rogers Cites China’s Defense Spending as Justification

Representative Mike Rogers (R-AL), chairman of the Armed Services Committee, defended the budget proposal using comparative defense spending figures. He noted that China increased its defense budget by 7% this year, resulting in a higher defense spending-to-GDP ratio than the U.S. Rogers added that American defense spending as a percentage of GDP has been declining since World War II, despite rising in absolute dollar terms. Adjusted for inflation, current U.S. defense spending is over $400 billion higher than in the late 1990s.

“We don’t have enough munitions, ships, aircraft, and autonomous systems to get the country where we need to be if we want to truly deter conflict,” Rogers stated.

Hegseth Highlights Evolving Warfare Technology Needs

Hegseth argued that the evolving nature of warfare—including advancements in technology such as mass simultaneity, autonomy, undersea, space, cyber, and information warfare—requires greater capital investment. “All these big words require a higher end of capital investment,” he said. “It’s an important down payment on the future.”

Pentagon’s War Costs in Iran Remain Unclear

Representative Adam Smith (D-WA) pointed out that the Pentagon has yet to provide Congress with an estimate of war expenditures in Iran. For the first time, Comptroller Hurst provided an on-record figure: approximately $25 billion over 60 days, equating to over $400 million per day.

Independent researchers’ estimates, however, suggest the actual cost could be nearly double Hurst’s figure. Meanwhile, Iran’s Ministry of Health reports that over 3,000 people have been killed since U.S. and Israeli airstrikes began in late February.

Hegseth Dodges Questions on War’s Economic Impact

When pressed on how the war is affecting American families through rising fuel and food costs, Hegseth dismissed the inquiry as a “gotcha question.” Despite repeated questioning from multiple lawmakers, he failed to outline any strategy for ending the war.

“Their nuclear facilities have been obliterated. They’re buried underground,” Hegseth said. “So we had to start this war, you just said 60 days ago, because—”

Note: The article ends mid-sentence as the original transcript was incomplete.