The Pentagon is asking Congress for $1.5 trillion while the Iran war drags on, and the bill lands on American taxpayers already carrying record debt.

• The military wants $1.5 trillion, plus an $88 billion emergency package for troop pay, fuel, and missiles.
• The official price tag for the Iran war is $37.5 billion, but outside estimates put it well over $100 billion.
• The US already spends more on defense than the next six countries combined, including China and Russia.
• The national debt is near $40 trillion — about $116,000 per person — and rising fast.
• Officials say Iran's missiles were destroyed months ago, yet Iran is still hitting US bases and ships, and no one will rule out ground troops.

Outlook: Expect the spending request to move forward and the war to grind on, with ground escalation the open question.