EXCLUSIVE: Pete Hegseth Blows Past Deadline to Explain Billions in Iran War Spending — After Senators Demanded Answers
Pete Hegseth faces questions after a deadline passed for a detailed accounting of billions spent on the Iran conflict.
Oct. 1 2026, Published 2:45 p.m. ET
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has blown past a deadline to explain billions of dollars spent on the war with Iran – with no detailed public response to senators' demands surfacing by the September 30 cutoff, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
The Pentagon chief was ordered to provide lawmakers with a sweeping accounting of the mounting costs of military operations against Iran after dozens of Democratic senators accused the Defense Department of withholding basic financial information from Congress and taxpayers.
Iran War's Enormous Price Tag
Senators demanded a detailed breakdown from Hegseth.
The senators demanded answers by September 30.
As of publication, Radar could not locate a public response from Hegseth or the Pentagon addressing the three detailed requests laid out in the lawmakers' letter. The demand came as lawmakers scrutinized the enormous price tag attached to the conflict.
The Pentagon has said roughly $42billion has already been spent on the war, while Hegseth previously told senators certain costs associated with the conflict were expected to total approximately $37.5billion through September 30.
But senators said those figures failed to provide a complete picture of what taxpayers are actually footing.
$67Billion Under the Microscope
Lawmakers are seeking answers about how billions in Pentagon funding have been spent.
They demanded Hegseth provide a detailed breakdown of all direct and indirect costs associated with military operations against Iran, including damage to military installations, aircraft, and equipment, as well as expenses connected to refurbishing deployed ships and aircraft.
Lawmakers also zeroed in on the administration's massive $67billion supplemental funding request for the Pentagon.
They demanded the Defense Department identify how much of that money would reimburse expenses already incurred, how much would fund future operations, and which portions were unrelated to the Iran conflict.
As Radar previously reported, the request also contained $1.2billion earmarked broadly for "Administration priorities" – wording that helped fuel lawmakers' demands for additional transparency.
Pete Hegseth 'Failed to Provide Basic Information'
Hegseth was given until September 30 to provide lawmakers with a more detailed accounting.
The senators wrote: "Despite asking for tens of billions of additional taxpayer dollars, you have so far failed to provide basic information on how this money has and will be spent."
The lawmakers also demanded answers about approximately $34billion in remaining Pentagon funding from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
They asked Hegseth to disclose exactly how that money would be spent, the timeline for spending it and whether any portion would finance Iran-related military operations.The pressure comes after the Defense Department's inspector general warned the conflict has created strategic inventory shortfalls and exposed bottlenecks in the military's ability to replenish munitions.
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Lawmakers are demanding more transparency over Iran war costs.
Hegseth has publicly discussed the cost of the Iran conflict before, including during a July Senate hearing, but the senators' latest request sought a far more granular accounting.
The September 30 deadline has now passed without the requested breakdown being made publicly available.
Radar has reached out to the Department of Defense for comment and clarification on whether Hegseth submitted a response directly to lawmakers before the deadline.
