Trump's Iran War 'Blunder' Rocks Pentagon, US Military Faces Big Crisis; 'NO MONEY TO TRAIN...'

[00:00:00]America's military campaign against Iran [music] is no longer just reshaping the battlefield. It is beginning to strain the Pentagon's own war machine. As the conflict stretches on, the financial burden of sustained combat operations is mounting at a staggering pace. The cost of keeping fighter jets in the air, [music] missile defense systems on constant alert, warships deployed across the region, and thousands of troops combat ready is reportedly rising so rapidly [music] that the Pentagon is now being forced to make difficult tradeoffs to keep the campaign going. According to the Washington Post, defense [music] officials have begun scaling back key elements of America's own military preparedness to sustain operations in the Middle [music] East. Training exercises are reportedly being reduced, equipment maintenance schedules are being delayed, and planned [music] weapons purchases are being reconsidered as resources are redirected toward the ongoing conflict with Iran.

[00:00:59]The report highlights the growing financial pressure [music] facing the US military, underscoring a stark reality.

[00:01:06]As the war grows longer and more demanding, the challenge is no longer just defeating an adversary abroad, >> [music] >> but sustaining the immense cost of fighting one.

[00:01:16]The pressure comes despite the Pentagon already receiving a massive annual budget.

[00:01:21]>> [music] >> The problem is that money allocated for routine operations is now being redirected [music] toward fuel, repairs, troop deployments, and the replacement of expensive missiles and bombs used against Iran.

[00:01:34]The Trump administration has [music] asked Congress for nearly $88 billion in emergency funding. Around $67 billion would go directly to the Pentagon, [music] including $21 billion for weapons and munitions, $17.3 billion for operational costs, and more [music] than $12 billion for classified programs.

[00:01:54]The scale of the request reveals how deeply the conflict is straining American resources. The Washington Post previously reported [music] that more than 850 Tomahawk cruise missiles have been expended during the campaign.

[00:02:08]Modern variants can cost up to 3.6 million dollars each and may take as long as 2 years to manufacture.

[00:02:16]Pentagon officials warned earlier that without additional funding, regular exercises and operations would have to be curtailed. Maintenance delays could also reduce the availability of aircraft, ships, and other equipment [music] for missions outside the Middle East. But Congress remains divided.

[00:02:34]Democrats and some Republicans are demanding greater transparency over the war's cost, objectives, and duration before approving [music] another enormous package. Lawmakers are also preparing to leave Washington for a month-long break, raising the possibility that the Pentagon will have [music] to continue absorbing the costs without immediate relief.

[00:02:55]The administration [music] insists the money is needed to rebuild depleted stockpiles and maintain [music] military readiness. Critics argue that the White House is asking taxpayers to finance an open-ended conflict that Congress never formally authorized. The contradiction is becoming difficult to conceal. Washington claims its military [music] pressure is weakening Iran, but the campaign is simultaneously forcing the Pentagon to reduce training, postpone maintenance, >> [music] >> and consume weapons faster than American factories can replace them. The war may be taking place thousands of kilometers from the United States, >> [music] >> but its financial and military consequences are now reaching directly into the Pentagon.

[00:03:41]The human cost of the Iran conflict is mounting at an alarming pace.

[00:03:47]The US military death toll has reportedly risen [music] to at least 18, while the Pentagon has acknowledged that nearly 100 more American troops were wounded in the latest wave of Iranian missile and drone strikes, underscoring the intensifying price of the escalating conflict.

[00:04:09]According to the Washington Post, the growing casualty count includes US service [music] members killed in Iranian missile and drone attacks. Six American airmen who lost their lives in a crash of a refueling aircraft, and additional troops killed during last week's renewed escalation, painting a grim picture of a conflict growing deadlier by the day.

[00:04:34]Some of the war's most devastating losses came in its [music] opening phase. Six US Army reservists were killed after an Iranian drone pierced American air defenses [music] and slammed into a tactical operations center at Kuwait's Port Shuaiba. In another [music] deadly strike, a US soldier later succumbed to injuries suffered during an Iranian attack on Prince Sultan airbase in Saudi Arabia.

[00:05:00]Another stark reminder that the battlefield stretches far beyond the front lines.

[00:05:06]The losses increased again when a US Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker went down during operations over western Iraq. All six crew members aboard were killed.

[00:05:18]US Central Command said the tanker crash [music] was not caused by hostile fire, contradicting claims by an Iran-aligned Iraqi group that it had brought the aircraft down. A second KC-135 involved in the incident managed to land despite reportedly sustaining significant damage.

[00:05:38]The latest [music] escalation added three more confirmed deaths. Lieutenant Tyler James Feehan and Private Isabella Gonzalez >> [music] >> were killed when an Iranian ballistic missile struck Muwaffaq Salti Airbase in Jordan. The missile reportedly [music] hit prefabricated housing units used by American troops.

[00:05:58]Another US service member was killed in northern [music] Iraq during the controlled detonation of an unexploded Iranian attack drone. A second soldier was wounded in that incident. The precise overall [music] figure remains fluid because one American was also reported missing [music] after the Jordan attack. While US reports have differed over whether all deaths connected to accidents and [music] other operational incidents are included in the war tally.

[00:06:26]The number of injured personnel is also rising sharply. The Pentagon now says nearly 100 American troops were wounded during Iranian attacks over recent weeks. Most reportedly suffered concussions or minor injuries and officials say approximately 96% have returned to duty.

[00:06:45]Washington has responded [music] with 10 consecutive nights of air strikes against Iran targeting missile facilities, command centers, air defenses, and maritime infrastructure.

[00:06:57]But the rising American toll demonstrates that Iran retains the ability to strike back reaching US bases.

[00:07:05]>> [music] >> What began as a campaign the White House suggested could be completed quickly [music] has now killed at reportedly 18 American service members, injured hundreds, and exposed [music] US bases across the region to sustained Iranian fire.

[00:07:22]>> News never stops. The world keeps turning and every turn tells a story.

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