Hegseth requests more funding for Iran war and Zelenskyy fires his commander in chief: Morning Rundown

Morning RundownHegseth requests more funding for Iran war and Zelenskyy fires his commander in chief: Morning RundownPlus, Trump-backed Republican Rep. Andy Biggs wins his party’s primary in the race for governor in Arizona. Listen to this article with a free profile00:0000:00The U.S. military identified a third service member believed to have been killed in Friday’s Iranian attack on Jordan as Sgt. Angel S. Rampersad.10th Army Air and Missile Defense / via DVIDSShareAdd NBC News to GoogleJuly 22, 2026, 7:07 AM EDTBy Elizabeth Robinson, Josh Feldman and Daniela SuarezPete Hegseth asks Congress for billions more in military funding. Ukrainian President Zelenskyy fires his commander in chief after major protests. And an Idaho teen’s death provides a glimpse into the effect that anti-trans laws have had on trans people in America.Subscribe to read this story ad-freeGet unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.Here’s what to know today.Hegseth estimates cost of Iran war at $37.5 billion and asks for more moneyAdd NBC News to GoogleSecretary Hegseth grilled over growing cost of war with Iran01:56Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said he estimated the cost of the Iran war so far has totaled $37.5 billion, and he’s asked Congress for $67 billion more for the rest of the budget year. The new figures, which Hegseth revealed yesterday at a contentious Senate Appropriations Committee hearing, come as shipping through the Strait of Hormuz slows to a near standstill and as President Donald Trump pledged retaliation for the recent killings of three U.S. Service members.This is Morning Rundown, a weekday newsletter to start your day. Sign up here to get it in your inbox.Hegseth’s $37.5 billion figure is higher than the $30 billion figure presented to lawmakers earlier this month. Meanwhile, NBC News has reported that the Defense Department’s internal overall cost for the war so far is much higher: between $80 billion to $100 billion. The $67 billion extra that Hegse...