Trump points to Pickaxe Mountain as Iran war costs mount
CBS News reported Trump said the U.S. is not leaving Iran, while Pentagon leaders face Senate pressure over war funding.
By Frankie Delgado · News Reporter
2 min read
President Trump said Tuesday that the United States is not leaving Iran and is looking at more air attacks, including on a target identified as Pickaxe Mountain, according to CBS News.
The comments came as the Pentagon is pressing for more money to sustain the war effort, with CBS News reporting that budget limits are becoming a real constraint on the campaign.
CBS News correspondents Charlie D’Agata and Weijia Jiang reported on Trump’s remarks and the funding pressure. Matthew Kroenig, a nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, also joined CBS News with analysis of the situation.
More strikes, more questions
According to CBS News, Trump said the U.S. intends to cause further aerial damage to targets in Iran. Pickaxe Mountain was singled out in the report as one of the locations under consideration.
No additional details about the target were given in the CBS News report, including what is located there or when any strike might take place.
The president’s comments add to the pressure on defense officials already facing questions on Capitol Hill over the cost and direction of the war.
Pentagon seeks more funding
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has been defending an additional $67 billion funding request to the Senate, according to a CBS News video report listed alongside the coverage.
Another CBS News report said Hegseth told senators the Iran war has cost $37.5 billion. The outlet did not include further detail in the listing about how that figure was calculated.
Hegseth was also expected to testify on Capitol Hill as Democrats pressed for more updates on the Iran war, according to CBS News.
Sen. Patty Murray accused Hegseth of poor planning during a clash over what CBS News described as an attempt to circumvent the appropriations process. CBS News also reported that Sen. John Kennedy pressed Hegseth and Caine on Ukraine, Iran and the Strait of Hormuz.
War debate moves to Capitol Hill
The funding fight is now running alongside the military planning. CBS News reported that Trump is signaling continued U.S. involvement in Iran, while Pentagon officials are seeking billions more from Congress.
The Senate pressure points are clear from the CBS News coverage: how much the war has cost, how much more the Pentagon wants, and how lawmakers are being asked to approve it.
For now, the administration’s message, as reported by CBS News, is that the campaign is not over. The next battle may be over both targets in Iran and votes in Washington.
This story draws on original reporting from CBS News.