Pentagon asks White House for $200Billion as Trump considers deployment of thousands of troops for next phase in war with Iran | 18 March 2026 | The Pentagon has requested $200billion for the war in Iran as President Trump considers deploying thousands of more troops to the region. The development signaled a potential new phase in the conflict as the U.S. works to secure the Strait of Hormuz amid ongoing bombings. The funding request comes after a study concluded that the U.S. has spent around $3.7 billion, or $891.4 million a day, on wartime efforts in the first 100 hours of Operation Epic Fury, rising to $11 billion in the first week alone. The Trump administration is considering sending thousands of troops to reinforce its operation in the Middle East, a U.S. official ​and three people familiar with the matter told Reuters. The deployments could help provide Trump with additional options as he weighs expanding US operations, with the Iran war well into its third week.