US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent claims Washington can comfortably fund the war on Iran and will not need to increase taxes to do so, Al Jazeera reports.

Speaking on the NBC News programme ‘Meet the Press’, Bessent said, “We have plenty of money to fund this war,” adding that a supplemental budget request sought by the Pentagon — reported to be $200bn — would be for the military’s future capabilities.

“President Trump has built up the military, as he did in his first term, as he is now doing in his second term, and he wants to make sure that the military is well supplied going forward,” Bessent has said, without confirming the $200bn figure.

That supplemental funding request faces stiff opposition in Congress with Democrats and even some Republicans questioning the need after large defence appropriations last year.