Trump Says War With Iran Is Nearly Over, But Pentagon Is Asking Congress for $200 Billion More

President Trump is once again insisting the war with Iran will be over soon, but his own military is asking Congress for another $200 billion to keep fighting it, and deploying thousands more troops to the Middle East.

NBC News has learned the U.S. military is accelerating the deployment of at least 2,200 Marines and sailors from San Diego in the coming days, according to two people familiar with the decision.

The president pushed back on questions about putting boots on the ground. "I'm not putting troops anywhere," Trump said. "If I were, I certainly wouldn't tell you, but I'm not putting troops."

The conflict is widening across the region. An oil refinery in Kuwait was targeted this morning, the latest in a growing list of energy sites hit as Iran looks to inflict pain on the global economy. Israel struck a major Iranian gas field, and Trump threatened worse if Iran continues attacking Gulf allies like Qatar.

House Speaker Mike Johnson is standing behind the president's approach, saying he thinks "the mission is all but complete," though when pressed on why the military still needs billions more, he said, "It's a dangerous time in the world and we have to adequately fund defense."

Democrats are pointing to prices rising beyond just gas, including jet fuel and mortgage rates. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries called for redirecting the focus: "Let's focus on bringing down housing costs, bringing down healthcare costs." Democrats have promised another push to limit the president's war powers, though Republicans have so far blocked every such effort.