US Media: Iran War Depleting Pentagon's Funds, Could Raise Defense Spending to $80 Billion

BlockBeats News, June 21st. US media reported that the ongoing military operation in Iran is putting significant pressure on the US defense budget and ammunition stockpiles. According to The Wall Street Journal, citing sources familiar with the matter, the US Department of Defense internally estimates that the war and related expenses may have reached or come close to an $80 billion scale. It warned that if spending continues to escalate, the Pentagon may face a risk of running out of operating funds in the summer and would require Congress to pass emergency supplemental appropriations.

The report pointed out that this funding gap has not yet resulted in a formal budget request but has been mentioned in discussions between senior Pentagon officials and Congress. Former Pentagon financial officials indicated that early estimates were around $29 billion, but the actual cost could be much higher.

At the same time, the conflict has also been noted to significantly deplete US critical ammunition stockpiles, including the THAAD and Patriot interceptor missiles. Several research institutions have analyzed that the US has consumed a considerable proportion of related stockpiles, with replenishment cycles for some models extending over several years, raising concerns about military supply chain resilience.

Furthermore, a new round of the National Defense Authorization Act being pushed through Congress is expected to exceed a total of $1 trillion, including billions of dollars in appropriations for Israeli-related defense systems and cooperative projects, sparking continued debates on the structure of US global military spending and resource allocation.