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The Pentagon has reportedly requested $200 billion for the war in Iran as President Trump considers deploying thousands of troops to the region.
The request follows a study showing that the U.S. spent approximately $3.7 billion—or $891.4 million per day—on wartime operations during the first 100 hours of Operation Epic Fury, rising to $11 billion within the first week.
Multiple sources told The Washington Post that the Pentagon asked the White House to request the funding from Congress.
It remains unclear whether the White House will act on the request, as Democrats largely oppose the war, and Kentucky libertarian Senator Rand Paul often votes against military funding. This could make securing the 60 votes needed to avoid a filibuster difficult.
The Trump administration is reportedly considering sending thousands of troops to reinforce U.S. operations in the Middle East, according to a U.S. official and three people familiar with the matter, who spoke to Reuters.
The deployments could give Trump additional options as he weighs expanding military operations, with the war in Iran now entering its third week.
Those options include securing safe passage for oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, a mission that would primarily involve air and naval forces, the sources said.
However, securing the Strait could also require deploying U.S. troops to Iran’s shoreline, according to four sources, including two U.S. officials.
The administration has also considered sending ground forces to Iran’s Kharg Island, the hub for 90 percent of the country’s oil exports, according to three people familiar with the discussions and three U.S. officials.
One official described such an operation as highly risky, noting that Iran can strike the island with missiles and drones.
