US Spending on Iran War Tops $47 Billion, With Over $35 Billion More Needed to Replace Equipment
The US military has so far spent more than $47 billion conducting the war in Iran, Reuters reported on Wednesday.
The figure is more than 25 percent higher than the Defense Department's estimate in July. The Pentagon's latest estimate has not been made public, and the Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment on it.
The estimate is comparable to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's July calculation, in which he had put the cost of the war at $37.5 billion.
According to the Pentagon's latest estimate, beyond the cost of conducting the war, more than $29 billion will be needed to replace ammunition and other equipment used in the conflict.
More than a further $6 billion will be needed to replace military equipment and platforms such as warplanes and drones, because the United States lost a number of aircraft, including several drones, during the war.
The cost figures come as Republicans struggle to contain the political fallout of the unpopular conflict. Rising global energy costs have reduced public support for Republican candidates and damaged President Donald Trump's popularity; Republicans hold only slim majorities in both chambers of Congress.
Elections will be held on 3 November, which will determine who controls Congress for the next two years.
Trump's initial strategy in the war was first to strike Iran's defenses with extremely expensive, advanced precision missiles, creating the opportunity later to use cheaper munitions such as JDAM gravity bombs, of which stocks are plentiful. But the ceasefire that took effect in April allowed Iran to bring equipment out of its underground storage, reactivate a number of its defense systems and make missiles and drones that had been out of reach usable again.
Trump then imposed a naval blockade on Iran to prevent it from earning revenue from oil exports. He has also left open the possibility of resuming military operations after the midterm elections; US officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the Pentagon has prepared plans to resume intense fighting if ordered.
