Trump asks Congress for $87bn, mostly for ‘urgent’ Iran war costs

The White House has asked lawmakers to approve $87.6bn (£66.5bn), mostly for “urgent needs” connected with the US war on Iran, a day after Congress passed a resolution rebuking the military action.

The bulk of the funding – $67bn – is for the Defense Department, including $21bn for munitions, $17.3bn for operational costs and $12.1bn for classified programmes, said the White House.

The other money is for unrelated measures including $11bn for US farmers and $1.4bn to tackle the Ebola outbreak in Central Africa.

But the proposal faces an uphill battle in Congress as the Iran conflict is unpopular with voters and midterm elections loom this November.

The White House Office of Management and Budget sent the formal request for the funds on Wednesday in a letter to House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson.

“Most of this request will address urgent needs related to Operation Epic Fury (OEF),” says the letter, referring to the Iran war.

Washington and Tehran are currently observing a ceasefire, but the conflict has depleted Pentagon stockpiles.

Republicans in Congress have expressed scepticism about a peace plan Trump agreed last week with Iran.

Earlier on Wednesday, Trump held a tense meeting with Senate Republicans, after he abruptly called off a signing ceremony for a bipartisan housing bill

At the closed-door luncheon on Capitol Hill, he complained about Tuesday’s largely symbolic vote on a war powers resolution in the Republican-controlled Senate to block his war in Iran, reports the BBC’s US partner CBS.

It was the first resolution of its kind to clear Congress instructing a president to end a military action since the War Powers Resolution of 1973 was enacted.