Pentagon Estimates $25 Billion Cost for Iran War Amid Congressional Scrutiny

The United States has spent an estimated $25 billion on the war with Iran, the Pentagon’s budget chief told lawmakers on Wednesday, marking the administration’s most detailed public estimate of the conflict’s cost so far. Jules Hurst III disclosed the figure during testimony alongside Pete Hegseth before the House Armed Services Committee. The hearing, convened to review the administration’s proposed $1.5 trillion defense budget, also gave lawmakers their first public opportunity to question senior officials on the war, which began on February 28.

Meanwhile, three sources familiar with the matter told CNN that the estimate severely understates the true cost of the war. The figure does not include the cost of repairing extensive damage to US military bases in the region, suggesting the overall financial toll is likely much higher.

One source said the actual cost of the war could be closer to $40 billion to $50 billion when factoring in the expense of rebuilding US military installations and replacing destroyed assets. Early Iranian strikes across the Gulf caused significant damage to at least nine US military sites within 48 hours, targeting facilities in Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, according to CNN.

Two months into a conflict that Donald Trump had predicted would last four to six weeks has significantly drained US resources.

Pete Hegseth pointed to America’s prolonged engagements in the Vietnam War, Iraq War and War in Afghanistan as a benchmark for endurance. The $25 billion cost is roughly equivalent to the annual budget of Nasa. Hegseth on Wednesday rejected claims that the US-Israel war on Iran had become “a quagmire,” arguing instead that critics of the operation posed a greater threat to the United States. Appearing before the House Armed Services Committee alongside general Dan Caine, Hegseth faced questions over Washington’s strategy for the conflict.

"You call it a quagmire, handing propaganda to our enemies? Shame on you for that statement," Hegseth said. During the hearing, the defence secretary also urged lawmakers to approve $1.5 trillion in military spending, while describing some members of Congress as “the biggest challenge” to the war effort. “The biggest adversary we face at this point are the reckless, feckless and defeatist words of congressional Democrats and some Republicans,” Hegseth said, as cited by The Guardian.

The war against Iran, was “an existential fight for the safety of the American people”, and the administration was “proud of this undertaking," said Hegseth. The Pentagon has deployed tens of thousands of additional troops to the Middle East, including maintaining three aircraft carriers in the region. At least 13 US service members have been killed in the conflict, with hundreds more reported wounded.