U.S.-Iran Conflict Day 14: U.S. Seeks Supplemental Defense Funding Amid Global Energy Crisis

As the U.S.-Iran conflict enters its 14th day, the Trump administration and international partners have moved to release 400 million barrels of oil from global reserves to counter prices exceeding $100 per barrel. The U.S. share of the release, totaling 172 million barrels, comes as the Pentagon prepares a supplemental defense budget request. This follows an initial expenditure of $5.6 billion on munitions alone during the opening 48 hours of the war. While the military theater remains active, U.S. casualties have reached seven service members killed and 140 injured. On the diplomatic front, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is engaging with Russian President Vladimir Putin to explore a peace framework based on three "red lines": recognition of sovereign rights, financial reparations, and international security guarantees. Despite these back-channel efforts, humanitarian conditions continue to deteriorate. Iranian officials report over 1,300 civilian deaths, including 160 schoolgirls, while accusing U.S. and Israeli forces of targeting residential areas and hospitals. The conflict has caused significant collateral damage across the Middle East, with Gulf nations reporting infrastructure strikes on airports and refineries that have stranded thousands of travelers. In Washington, lawmakers are grappling with the long-term implications of the war, with concerns raised over potential ground deployments to secure nuclear stockpiles and the conflict's growing influence on domestic legislative priorities ahead of the midterm elections.