U.S. War Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Tuesday that America has so far spent nearly $37.5 billion on the war in Iran.

“The estimate we have as of today is $37.5 billion,” Mr Hegseth said when asked by Democratic Senator Dick Durbin how much the war had cost the U.S.

Mr Hegseth disclosed the figure during a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing, where he defended the Trump administration’s $67 billion funding request for the war.

As of mid-May, a senior Pentagon official estimated that the war had cost the U.S. nearly $29 billion.

“We live in a dangerous world,” Mr Hegseth said in his testimony, noting that it required urgent and bold actions. However, his remarks drew criticism from people who protested against the war in Iran.

“Without these funds, we face critical shortfalls that threaten our ability to simply pay our service members, rapidly replenish equipment and munitions, and sustain vital operations without disruption,” he added.

He said the funds would be utilised to build the U.S. military’s “lethality” and “reinforce peace through strength”.

According to him, former President Joe Biden’s administration left the country’s budget in “disaster,” and the military must be adequately funded to keep America safe.

Mr Hegseth’s remarks come amid escalating tensions between the U.S. and Iran, with Washington continuing to launch strikes against Tehran.

The attacks have lasted for 10 consecutive nights, with the latest carried out “in honour” of three slain soldiers whom Mr Trump described as “great patriots.”

“Well, we feel very badly. But you know, those great people, those great patriots, were out there fighting so that Iran could not have a nuclear weapon,” Mr Trump said. “Iran has been very, very badly damaged. They’ve lost everything almost militarily. They’ve got very little left.”

According to state news agency IRNA, Tehran has also struck two oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz and U.S. military assets in Bahrain, Kuwait, and Jordan.