The cost of the US war with Iran has reached at least $47.1 billion, according to a new estimate from US Central Command provided to lawmakers.
The figure, calculated to mid-October, includes the cost of replacing weapons used during the conflict, lost equipment and additional military support. It does not include damage to US bases in the Middle East, many of which have been targeted by Iranian drones and missiles.
US military war costs rise by almost $10 billion
About $29 billion of the total is attributed to replacing expended munitions, while $6.1 billion is earmarked for lost equipment. A further $11.9 billion covers incremental costs, including support for American service members.
The latest estimate is nearly $10 billion higher than the figure given by Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth to lawmakers three months ago, when he put the cost at about $37.5 billion, excluding damage to US bases.
The Congressional Budget Office said last month that the conflict could cost between $2 billion and $3 billion a month for as long as it continues. A significant part of that spending is expected to come from replacing interceptor missiles used to defend against Iranian attacks.
Those costs could increase during renewed exchanges between the US and Iran. Such confrontations were frequent over the summer but have been quieter in recent weeks.
The war is due to enter its ninth month this week, with no clear indication of how long it will continue. President Trump has suggested that hostilities could resume after next month’s midterm elections unless Iran agrees to a deal.
“We may do another little Epic Fury, or they’ll agree,” he told supporters at a rally in Florida last week.
The Pentagon’s inspector general said last month that the volume of weapons used during the war had left the US facing “strategic inventory shortfalls”. The Defence Department is working to speed up production, although the Trump administration has rejected claims that the military is facing shortages.
Mr Trump said in early September: “We have virtually unlimited amounts of Mid to High Grade Ammunition, far more than we could ever use.”
The administration has asked Congress to approve tens of billions of dollars in additional military funding, partly to cover the war with Iran. The request has not yet passed, while Democrats have called on Mr Hegseth to provide a more detailed account of the conflict’s cost.
