Iran War Bill Rises to $45.1 Billion, Pentagon Says
Pentagon estimate puts the conflict’s cost at $45.1 billion, while warning the figure does not include all military-related expenses.
The ongoing US conflict with Iran has cost the Trump administration an estimated $45.1 billion, according to a Pentagon estimate provided to the US Congress on Friday, CNN reported, citing two sources familiar with the matter.
The latest figure includes $43.6 billion in war-related costs through September 3, along with an additional $1.5 billion for extra fuel, according to the sources cited by CNN.
However, the Pentagon estimate does not represent a complete accounting of the conflict’s financial cost.
One source said the figure does not include the cost of repairing damaged US military bases and buildings and does not provide Congress with a detailed assessment of indirect military-operation costs.
The latest estimate is higher than the Pentagon’s earlier estimate of $37.5 billion in July and exceeds the Congressional Budget Office’s earlier projection of $8 billion through August 1.
In a September 15 report titled Estimating the Cost of Combat Operations Against Iran, the CBO estimated that the Department of Defense had incurred approximately $38 billion in costs as of August 1.
The CBO said its estimate covered operational, logistical, and sustainment costs, including the replacement of expended munitions and equipment lost in battle, increased flying hours, other military operations, and higher fuel costs.
The agency cautioned that its estimate was subject to “considerable uncertainty,” as it relied on government databases and public reports after the Department of Defense did not respond to its requests for information.
