Washington, July 22 (SANA)– US Defense SecretaryPete Hegsethconfirmed that the cost of US military operations againstIranhas so far reached about $37.5 billion, an increase of nearly $8 billion over previously announced estimates.

Reuters quoted Hegseth as saying during a hearing before theSenate Appropriations Committee, in the presence of Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Dan Keane: “This figure also includes extended and projected costs until the end of next September.”

These statements came during the U.S. Secretary of Defense’s first public appearance before lawmakers to answer questions regarding the financial costs and battlefield developments since Washington resumed its military operations in the region.

The region has been witnessing a rapidly escalating military confrontation since theU.S. militaryresumed strikes against Iranian targets and in the vicinity of theStrait of Hormuz, alongside growing international and economic warnings over the potential consequences of continued escalation for maritime security and global energy supplies.