US Defense Spending

The United States struck Iranian military targets for a 12th consecutive night on Wednesday, escalating an offensive that has now entered its third week since a ceasefire collapsed. President Donald Trump, speaking at a rally in Georgia, asserted that Iran is not prepared to conclude a nuclear agreement, though he separately suggested Tehran would soon be ready to finalize a deal to halt the conflict.

Trump later attended a dignified transfer at Dover Air Force Base for four service members killed in Iranian strikes in Jordan and Iraq. The Pentagon identified the fallen as Tyler James Feehan, 25; Isabella Gonzales, 19; Angel S. Rampersad, 28; and Michael Emmanuel Swinton, 30. U.S. military deaths have reached 18, with roughly 500 wounded since the U.S.-Israeli campaign began Feb. 28.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has requested an urgent $67 billion military injection, estimating the war has cost $37.5 billion. Trump threatened to destroy Iranian civilian infrastructure if Tehran continues striking ships in the Strait of Hormuz.

The US House of Representatives passed the $1.15 trillion National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2027 on 22 July by a narrow 216-212 vote, approving a record-setting security spending package that extends well beyond traditional military policy.

Republican leaders attached the SAVE America Act, a Donald Trump-backed elections overhaul proposal imposing new voter ID restrictions and banning mail-in ballots, to the must-pass defense legislation. The bill also proposes renaming the Department of Defense to the Department of War, mandates a 5% to 7% pay raise for service members, and authorizes $73 billion for operations against Iran. A provision mandating construction of a "Golden Dome" missile defense system was also included.

Lawmakers rejected an amendment by Eli Crane to cut all military aid to Ukraine and defeated a Lauren Boebert proposal to codify a ban on transgender service members. However, the House approved amendments barring gender-related care under TRICARE and banning transgender athletes from girls' sports at Defense Department schools. The White House has raised concerns over a provision limiting presidential authority to name military installations.

President Donald Trump threatened to bomb and destroy a bridge or power plant in Iran — including sites in or near Tehran — for every Iranian attack on a vessel in the Strait of Hormuz, escalating his rhetoric after warning a day earlier of possible strikes on the Pickaxe Mountain nuclear site near Natanz.

The ultimatum followed a night of intensified exchanges: US Central Command said it struck Iranian military operations centres, drone storage facilities, air hangars and logistics infrastructure, while air defences were activated over Tehran and explosions were heard in Bushehr. Iran's Revolutionary Guard claimed attacks on US targets in Jordan, and Iran's military said it launched drone strikes on a US base in western Kuwait, with retaliatory hits also reported in Bahrain and Qatar. The US military death toll has risen to 18 since hostilities began on 28 February.

Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth put the conflict's cost at $37.5 billion and requested an additional $67 billion from Congress. Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen announced a blockade of Saudi oil shipments through the Red Sea. US intelligence assessments indicate 11 days of renewed strikes have not altered Iranian behaviour, and Iran's UN ambassador called US attacks on civilian infrastructure war crimes, drawing concern from UN Secretary-General António Guterres.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth testified before a Senate committee on Tuesday, pressing lawmakers to approve a $67 billion supplemental Pentagon funding package to sustain the war effort against Iran. The request is part of a broader $87.6 billion package from the Trump administration, with $67.1 billion earmarked specifically for ongoing military operations.

Hegseth, appearing alongside General Dan Caine, detailed urgent needs including $1.5 billion to address critical fuel shortfalls and $2 billion to replace combat-damaged equipment. The US has conducted a tenth consecutive night of strikes against Iranian military infrastructure as of Monday. The conflict, which began in February, has killed 17 American service members and wounded nearly 100, including three deaths last week.

The broader spending package also includes roughly $11 billion in agricultural aid, with Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins separately appealing for support for US farmers.