U.S. Military Estimates Iran War Cost at $47.1 Billion

The U.S. military estimates that its war with Iran had cost at least $47.1 billion through mid-October, according to a newly disclosed assessment from U.S. Central Command. The estimate was provided to lawmakers and sets out spending on replacement weapons, lost equipment and the additional costs of supporting American personnel. Replacing munitions accounted for approximately $29 billion, the largest component of the estimate. Replacing lost equipment accounted for about $6.1 billion, while roughly $11.9 billion covered incremental costs, including support for U.S. service members. These are rounded estimates, rather than an exact accounting of every expense associated with the campaign. The assessment excludes damage to American military bases in the Middle East, several of which were targeted by Iranian drones and missiles. Three months earlier, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told lawmakers that the war had cost about $37.5 billion. That earlier figure also excluded damage to U.S. bases. The administration requested tens of billions of dollars in supplemental military funding earlier this year, partly to cover the Iran war, but that request had not passed. Democrats have sought a fuller accounting of the campaign's costs from Hegseth.