Pentagon tells Congress: War with Iran has cost $45.1 billion

The U.S. war with Iran has cost $45.1 billion, the Pentagon informed Congress on Friday, according to two sources familiar with the matter.

The Defense Department told lawmakers the cost of the war was $43.6 billion through September 3, plus an additional $1.5 billion for fuel, the sources added.

The estimate is, however, not a full accounting of the war’s cost. It does not include an estimate of the cost of repairing damaged bases or buildings, and it did not give Congress detailed explanations of the indirect costs of military operations, as lawmakers had requested, according to one of the sources.

The Pentagon’s $45.1 billion figure exceeds the $38 billion estimate the Congressional Budget Office projected for the cost of the war through August 1, and comes after the Pentagon estimated in July that the war bill was $37.5 billion.

According to the Budget Office, most of the price tag comes from munitions spending; its estimate also did not include the cost of repairing U.S. facilities damaged during the war. The Office told lawmakers the war will continue to cost the U.S. approximately $2 to $3 billion a month after August 1, with higher costs during periods of escalated fighting.

The Congressional Budget Office also told Congress the war is expected to push up inflation for the first quarter of 2027, raising costs at a time when Americans are increasingly worried about the economy.

Source: CNN