US Iran War Cost Passes $47 Billion, Pentagon Data Shows

Pentagon – (Special Correspondent/Web Desk) – The US military has spent more than $47 billion on the war in Iran so far, according to Pentagon data seen by Reuters. That is over 25% higher than the Defence Department’s estimate in July.

The Pentagon did not reply right away when asked for comment. The estimate has not been shared with the public.

The news comes at a hard time for Republicans. They are dealing with the political damage of an unpopular war just days before the November 3 election. That vote will decide who controls Congress for the next two years.

The war has also pushed up energy prices around the world. This has hurt support for Republican candidates and lowered President Donald Trump’s approval ratings. His party holds a narrow majority in both chambers of Congress.

The new figure mainly covers the cost of running the war. About $29 billion is needed just to replace the missiles and bombs already used.

More than $6 billion more would go toward replacing lost equipment. This includes aircraft and many drones that were lost during the fighting.

Trump launched the war with Israel in February. He said at the time that it would not last long.

His first plan was to use costly, high-end missiles to destroy Iran’s defences. Cheaper weapons, such as JDAM gravity bombs, would then be used later.

But a ceasefire in April changed the picture. It gave Iran time to dig out underground storage sites. Some air defences, missiles and drones came back online.

Trump has since placed a naval blockade on Iran. The goal is to cut off its oil income. He has also said fighting could restart after the midterms.

US officials, who asked not to be named, say the Pentagon is ready to return to heavy fighting if ordered.

In July, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth put the cost at $37.5 billion. The latest total includes many costs, from flight operations to cyber support.

However, the estimate does not clearly count the repair bills for US bases. Iranian missile and drone attacks damaged those bases, and the repair costs are expected to be huge.