Trump is under pressure - an investigation reveals unknown losses in the billions due to the Iran war

The cost of the war on Iran to the American treasury is increasing, and according to data from the Department of Defense (Pentagon), the costs of the war have so far exceeded 47 billion dollars, in addition to billions of dollars in damage to American military bases in the Middle East. An investigation conducted by the American newspaper "The Wall Street Journal" documents that 274 buildings in 24 military sites were damaged during the first six months of the war.

The Pentagon expects to lose an additional five billion

According to US government officials, the Pentagon estimates the amount of damage to military bases alone at no less than five billion dollars, while other internal estimates indicate that the number may reach 15 billion dollars.

It is expected that the process of rebuilding damaged buildings will consume a large portion of these amounts. According to the Wall Street Journal, the Center for Strategic and International Studies estimates construction costs alone at more than four billion dollars, an estimate that does not include the technical equipment, weapons systems, and other equipment inside those buildings.

To conduct this investigation, the Wall Street Journal analyzed tens of thousands of satellite images released by the European Space Agency (ESA), as well as other high-resolution images. It was found that 274 buildings in 24 military sites where American forces were present were damaged during the first six months of the war.

Ammunition alone costs $29 billion

The total bill for the ongoing war is much larger than that. According to Pentagon data seen by Reuters, the costs so far have reached $47.1 billion. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth estimated spending in July at about $37.5 billion.

Expendable ammunition is the largest item among these costs. It is estimated that more than $29 billion will be needed to replace launched missiles and other weapons. The cost of lost military equipment and platforms, including aircraft and a large number of drones, amounts to more than an additional six billion dollars.

This amount does not include the costs of repairing damaged military bases, which means that the financial burden of the war far exceeds the previously announced $47.1 billion figure.

Hundreds of buildings on American bases were damaged

A Wall Street Journal investigation reveals the wide scope of the damage; At least 119 buildings at 13 military bases were damaged during just the first two weeks of the war. Later, Iran increasingly focused its attacks on accommodation and small buildings.

This was clearly demonstrated last July, when an attack on the Muwafaq Salti air base in Jordan resulted in the death of three American soldiers. Satellite images show that at least 19 buildings designated for housing at that base were damaged. According to the US Department of Defense, more than 20 US soldiers have been killed in operations related to this conflict since the outbreak of the war.

Demands in Congress to reveal the facts

In the US Congress, pressure is mounting on the Pentagon to reveal the actual costs. Five Democratic members of the Senate Armed Services Committee said they only learned of the extent of the financial damage through a classified briefing.

In a letter they addressed to the Commander of US Central Command, Admiral Brad Cooper, these members demanded that this data be disclosed publicly, stressing that the American people have the right to know the “full cost” of the war.