A cost estimate that keeps climbing
The U.S. military has spent more than $47 billion waging the war in Iran, according to Pentagon data that Reuters obtained. That total is more than a quarter above the Defense Department's July figure. The Pentagon did not immediately answer a request for comment on the estimate, which has not been released publicly.[S1][S2][S3][S4][S5][S6][S7]
The latest number covers the operational expenses of running the war. Replacing munitions fired in the conflict is projected to cost more than $29 billion. Another $6 billion-plus would be required to replace military equipment and what the data calls platform losses, a category that includes aircraft, among them many drones lost during the fighting.[S1]
The new estimate compares with the $37.5 billion figure Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth gave in July. While the accounting spans a wide range of operational items, from flight operations to cyber support, it did not clearly capture the large sums expected to be needed to repair damage to U.S. bases caused by Iranian missile and drone attacks.[S1]
How the war unfolded
President Donald Trump started the war with Iran alongside Israel in February and predicted it would be brief. His initial approach was to strike Iranian defenses first with costly high-end precision missiles, so that cheaper munitions, including plentiful gravity bombs such as the air-launched JDAMs, could be used afterward.[S1]
An April ceasefire gave Iran time to clear out underground storage sites, restoring some defenses along with missiles and drones that had been cut off. Trump then ordered a naval blockade aimed at denying Iran oil export revenue, and he has left open the possibility of resuming combat after the midterm elections. U.S. officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, say the Pentagon has been preparing to restart heavy fighting if it is ordered.[S1]
Politics and the price of war
The disclosure about the growing cost arrives as Republicans deal with the political consequences of a conflict that is unpopular before the November 3 election, which will determine which party controls Congress for the next two years. The war's effect on global energy costs has eroded support for Republican candidates and damaged Trump's approval ratings. His party holds a narrow majority in both chambers.[S1][S2][S3][S4][S5][S6][S7]
Trump has said the war will end when he wants it to, a remark reported as costs were said to have ballooned to $47 billion. The estimate has drawn coverage from outlets across several countries, all reporting the same core figure from the Pentagon data.[S8][S2][S3][S4][S5][S6][S7]
