Uncovered documents and sources close to the White House confirm that President Donald Trump is quietly seeking congressional approval for a multibillion-dollar war fund directed at Iran. The request, buried in a supplemental defence bill, is causing a deep rift inside the Republican party, with senior figures privately questioning the wisdom of another Middle Eastern entanglement. The UK, through a series of diplomatic notes obtained by this newsroom, has urged restraint, warning of a catastrophic regional conflict.
The request, dated three weeks ago and marked as classified, asks for $15bn in emergency spending. The money is earmarked for what the Pentagon calls 'enhanced deterrence operations in the Persian Gulf'. But sources on Capitol Hill say the true purpose is to build a strike capability against Iranian nuclear and military facilities. One senior GOP senator, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said: 'This is a backdoor authorisation for war. They are asking for a blank cheque.'
The timing is telling. Republicans are already fractured over Trump's trade wars and his handling of the Ukraine affair. This new push for war funding threatens to split the party open. Two former Republican secretaries of state have privately urged caution, warning that an unprovoked attack on Iran would be a strategic blunder. Yet the White House is pressing ahead, using the threat of Iranian proxies in Iraq and Yemen as justification.
The UK's stance is a key complication. British diplomats have conveyed their concerns to the National Security Council, according to leaked cables. 'Her Majesty's Government believes that a military confrontation with Iran would be disastrous for regional stability and would undermine the global non-proliferation regime,' one cable states. The British are pushing for a return to the nuclear deal and a diplomatic solution. But Trump, who abandoned the deal last year, is not listening.
Financing this war is another matter. The $15bn request would need to come from existing Pentagon budgets or new borrowing. The US national debt is already spiralling. A war with Iran could cost upwards of $2trn, according to a study by the Centre for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments. And there is the human cost: thousands of American servicemen and women would be at risk.
The push for war is not without its cheerleaders. Hardliners in the administration, including National Security Advisor John Bolton, see Iran as a target of opportunity. They argue that the regime is weakened by sanctions and popular unrest. 'Now is the time to strike,' a former senior administration official told me. But the military brass is less enthusiastic. The Pentagon has yet to provide a clear plan for achieving lasting peace.
The Republican rift could derail the plan. A group of GOP lawmakers, including senators Rand Paul and Mike Lee, have vowed to block any funding for offensive operations in Iran. 'I will not vote to send our kids to die in another oil war,' Paul said in a closed-door meeting. The White House is turning up the pressure, but the cracks are showing.
Sources confirm that the UK is exploring a UN Security Council resolution to de-escalate the crisis. But with Russia and China likely to veto, the diplomatic path is blocked. The clock is ticking.
