‘Israel First tax’; Araghchi takes a dig at reports of Pentagon asking for additional $200 billion funds for Iran war

The Pentagon is reportedly seeking more than $200 billion from the US Congress to finance President Donald Trump’s war of choice in Iran. If approved, the funding would expand the US military campaign launched on February 28 and accelerate the production of weapons being used in the conflict.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Thursday took a sharp dig at reports of the Pentagon asking for an additional $200 billion for the ongoing Iran war.

Referring to a report, Araghchi in an X post said, “This $200b is the tip of the iceberg. Ordinary Americans can thank Benjamin Netanyahu and his lackeys in Congress for the trillion-dollar "Israel First tax" that's about to hit the U.S. economy.”

“We're only three weeks into this war of choice, imposed on both Iranians and Americans,” he added.

The Pentagon is reportedly seeking more than $200 billion from the US Congress to finance President Donald Trump’s war of choice in Iran. If approved, the funding would expand the US military campaign launched on February 28 and accelerate the production of weapons being used in the conflict, according to a report by The Washington Post.

It has been nearly three weeks since the US, alongside Israel, began airstrikes against Iran to dismantle what the US military describes as the “Iranian regime’s security apparatus.”
According to US Central Command, American forces have so far struck more than 7,800 targets, flown over 8,000 combat missions, and damaged or destroyed more than 120 Iranian vessels.

In the first week alone, the US spent over $11 billion on its military campaign. With an additional $200 billion now being sought, America’s total war expenditure could surpass more than half of Iran’s annual GDP, which stood at $356.51 billion in 2025, according to World Meters. Congress has already approved $838.5 billion in defence funding for the 2026 fiscal year, as per the Senate Appropriations Committee.

The Pentagon has asked the White House to approve a request of more than $200 billion to be sent to the US Congress to fund the war in Iran, The Washington Post reported, citing a senior administration official. It is still unclear how much money the White House will ultimately ask lawmakers to approve. However, the newspaper noted that the funding request is likely to trigger a major political battle in Congress, “as public support for the effort remains tepid and Democrats have been sharply critical.”

Republicans have reportedly signaled support for the upcoming supplemental funding request but have not yet settled on a legislative strategy or found a clear path to clear the Senate’s 60‑vote threshold.

Not all White House officials believe the Pentagon’s request has a realistic chance of being approved in Congress. Over the past two weeks of the war, the Pentagon has reportedly floated several different proposed funding packages.

Reportedly, the Trump administration began preparing an additional funding request to help cover the war’s costs shortly after the joint US–Israeli campaign started late last month.
Such steps are often necessary to ensure the military can maintain its readiness to respond to global threats, even during wartime.

Inside the Pentagon, the effort was reportedly led by Deputy Defence Secretary Steven Feinberg, who has spent the past year focused on ramping up production of precision munitions and strengthening the American defence industry.

According to The Washington Post, Feinberg’s office has assembled several funding packages aimed at quickly addressing the Pentagon’s munitions shortfall and revitalising a defence industry that has at times been slow to respond.