White House budget director Russell Vought says he cannot estimate the cost of the Iran war, as he defends President Donald Trump’s request for a massive $1.5 trillion annual military budget against bipartisan criticism from US lawmakers who cited the Pentagon’s historic lack of financial accountability, Reuters reports.

“We’re not ready to come to you with a request. We’re still working on it. We’re working through to figure out what’s needed,” Vought has told a hearing of the House of Representatives Budget Committee. “I don’t have a ballpark.”

The cost of the war with Iran, which Trump began alongside Israel on February 28, has remained an open question on Capitol Hill. An initial $200 billion request for additional funding for the war met with stiff opposition in Congress last month.

Vought appeared before the panel to discuss Trump’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2027, with its $500 billion increase in military spending and 10 per cent reduction for non-defence programmes.

The request intends to reflect Republican priorities heading into the November midterm elections, in which Trump’s Republicans hope to retain control over the House of Representatives and the Senate but face growing public concern about the cost of living, energy prices and the US-Israeli war with Iran.

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