The US military’s price tag for the Iran war has grown to $43.6 billion as of September 3, according to a new estimate provided this week to lawmakers.
The figure from US Central Command, which oversees operations in the Middle East, offers the most up-to-date cost for the conflict since it was launched by the United States and Israel on Feb. A report from the Pentagon inspector general released Monday said Iranian strikes have damaged and destroyed hundreds of buildings and other structures at US bases in Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Oman and Jordan. The advanced weapons that have been in the most demand are defensive missile interceptors, such as those launched by the Army’s Patriot and THAAD systems.
“We will deliver on this generational investment. We will fund this department. Meanwhile, Democratic senators are demanding that Hegseth provide a full accounting of the costs of the Iran war. In a letter to the Pentagon chief, the lawmakers criticized the Defense Department for withholding basic budget information from Congress and the American public even as US casualties and taxpayer costs increase. The US military’s one-page breakdown to Congress this week includes costs for operating warships, planes and bases as well as for equipment losses and medical support for troops. The report does not include damage to US bases in the Middle East, which the Islamic Republic has attacked with ballistic missiles and drones. In the new report to Congress, the figure for munitions was by far the largest, constituting well over half of all costs.
- A Congressional Budget Office report released Tuesday said the war had cost $38 billion through Aug. 1 and will continue to rack up expenses of around $3 billion a month depending on the conflict’s intensity. The latest cost estimate has emerged as the Trump administration pushes for a historic $1.5 trillion military budget proposal. The White House also is asking Congress to approve a $95 billion package that would help fund the Iran war and other priorities. Casualties tallied by the Pentagon have included 18 dead and more than 830 wounded, according to the Defense Casualty Analysis System.
“We’re asking for $1.5 trillion in the current budget to make generational investments to keep our country strong and sustain good, high-paying jobs for American manufacturers like Saronic,” Hegseth said.
