Pentagon short on cash as Iran war costs mount

Jul 21, 2026

The Iran war is burning through money faster than expected, and the bill is heading to American taxpayers through new tariffs.

  • The Pentagon is running out of war funding within weeks and has asked Congress for another $67 billion.
  • Training and maintenance are already being cut back to save money.
  • Early war cost estimates of $30 billion look far too low โ€” closer to $100 billion or more.
  • New tariffs covering 60 countries and nearly all US trade are coming, framed as a forced-labor crackdown but useful as revenue.
  • Jamie Dimon says markets are underpricing the risk and he would not buy stocks or government bonds at these prices.

Outlook: Expect more tariffs and more spending requests, with a talked-about 10-day ceasefire unlikely to hold.

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