Hegseth asks Congress for $200B as Iran War Spreads, Casualties Mount
Michael Oliss | News Editor
The Pentagon and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth are seeking $200 billion for the Iran War, which started Feb. 28 when American and Israeli missiles struck the Iranian capital, killing their Supreme Leader, several favorites to succeed him, and civilians.
“Obviously, it takes money to kill bad guys,” Hegseth said to the press on Thursday. He went on to say there is no current timeframe for when the onslaught of missiles and drone strikes in Iran will stop. “It will be at the president’s choosing, ultimately, where we say, ‘Hey, we’ve achieved what we need to.’”
What America has “achieved” so far is the topic of much debate. Some things are certain: the scope of the conflict widens every day, and verified casualty figures continue to rise across multiple Middle Eastern nations. The killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has experts concerned with a power struggle that could result in a civil war. Furthermore, many question what the ultimate goal of this mission is; the majority of Americans disapprove of the war.
U.S. officials have framed the strikes as part of a broader effort to weaken Iran’s military and leadership structure, as well as to eliminate Iran’s nuclear operations and bring justice to the “father of the roadside bomb.” However, reporting from Associated Press and Al Jazeera indicates that the situation on the ground remains chaotic, with no clear end publicly defined, other than Hegseth’s mention that the end of the war will come “at the president’s choosing.”
The uncertainty surrounding this war, combined with the mixed messaging from senior members of President Donald Trump’s administration over the causes and direction of the war, means Congress may have questions for Hegseth and the Defense Department before handing over taxpayer money to further fund the war that has killed thousands and displaced more.
Controversy has also emerged around a strike on an elementary school in Iran, which killed over 150 people, mostly children. Images circulating online appeared to show missile fragments labeled with markings linked to a U.S. manufacturer in Dayton, Ohio.
The Pentagon has not released detailed public assessments of that incident, though mounting evidence shows the school was likely hit by an American Tomahawk missile using outdated targeting techniques. Still, independent verification is required to determine who is at fault for what the UN described as “a grave violation of humanitarian law.”
While American leaders debate over the ethics and finances of a war with no clear end in sight, a wave of assassinations targeting senior figures has left Iran’s leadership structure uncertain. BBC reports that key decision-making chains have been disrupted, complicating both governance and military response.
All of the likely next leaders of Iran are actively being sought out by American and Israeli missiles, making negotiation unlikely for some time. Ali Khamenei’s son, Mojtaba Khamenei, was rumored to be selected to his father’s former position as leader of Iran, but reports say he is wounded. According to Iranian reports, his wife and son were killed in a missile strike weeks ago. Speaking from the White House earlier this week, Trump said he was uncertain if Khamenei was “alive or dead.”
Over 1,400 Iranians have been killed since Feb. 28, according to Al Jazeera. In Lebanon, more than 1,000 people have died amid Israeli strikes and Hezbollah shootouts, according to multiple reports, including the Associated Press. Elsewhere, smaller but widening tolls have been reported: at least eight killed in the United Arab Emirates, six in Kuwait, and several deaths across Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Oman, according to Reuters. The United States has confirmed at least 13 service members killed since the conflict began.
As Congress weighs the $200 billion request, lawmakers are expected to press defense officials on objectives, accountability, and the potential for escalation. With no clear timeline, worsening conditions in several countries, and rising civilian casualties, the conflict is increasingly defined by uncertainty — in how it is being fought, why it started, and how it might end.