Budget Chief: Iran War Cost Not Yet Ballparked
White House Budget Director Russell Vought told the House Budget Committee he could not estimate the total cost of the Iran war or provide a ballpark figure, saying the administration is still determining fiscal-year needs. Harvard analyst Linda Bilmes has estimated the war could cost about $1 trillion. The White House has not yet submitted a supplemental funding request, even as the FY2027 budget calls for $1.5 trillion in defense spending. Reports have floated an eventual request of roughly $80 billion to $100 billion, far below the Pentagon's initial $200 billion figure.