The U.S. military has spent at least $47.1 billion on the war with Iran through Oct. 16, according to an unclassified estimate from U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) that was provided to Congress and obtained by the Associated Press and CBS News. The figure leaves out one large and still-unpriced item: the damage to American bases in the Middle East.
What the estimate says
CENTCOM’s breakdown, as reported by AP and CBS, puts the largest share, about $29 billion, on replacing munitions used in the war. AP reported that defensive interceptors such as Patriot and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missiles are the most in demand. About $11.9 billion covers operations and support for service members, and roughly $6 billion (CBS gives $6.1 billion) covers lost equipment.
By service, AP reported the Air Force at $7.6 billion, the Army at more than $2 billion and the Navy at $1.45 billion. The Navy figure fell from $2.2 billion in early September. AP said the Navy and CENTCOM referred questions to the Pentagon, which did not immediately respond. The reporting we reviewed does not explain the drop.
The total keeps climbing. AP puts the early-September figure at about $43.6 billion, so the new number is $3.5 billion higher. CBS reports that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told lawmakers about three months ago that the war had cost around $37.5 billion, again without base damage. Al-Monitor, citing the same estimate, describes a $9.6 billion rise since July.
What is not in the number
CENTCOM’s estimate excludes repairs to U.S. bases hit by Iranian missiles and drones. A Pentagon inspector general report last month said Iranian strikes damaged or destroyed hundreds of buildings and structures at bases in eight countries, AP reported. In July, according to Al-Monitor, the Pentagon’s acting comptroller told senators the cost could not yet be estimated because rebuilding plans and funding arrangements with host countries were uncertain. CBS describes the $47.1 billion as “at least” that amount, and nothing public says how much higher the true figure runs.
The official human toll is 21 service members killed and 865 wounded, AP reported. Eighteen of the deaths are linked to Iranian strikes, combat aircraft crashes or disposal of Iranian drones. The count also includes deaths from medical events and other causes unrelated to combat.
The stockpile dispute
The munitions line is where the spending argument meets a readiness argument. The Pentagon inspector general said last month that the United States faces “strategic inventory shortfalls” from munitions expended in the war, CBS reported. The administration disputes that the military is running short. In early September President Donald Trump said, “we have virtually unlimited amounts of Mid to High Grade Ammunition, far more than we could ever use.”
Both statements are on the record. The public estimate does not say how many interceptors have been fired or how long replacement will take. CBS reports the Defense Department is working to speed up production.
Congress and the money
The administration is seeking a $1.5 trillion military budget and a $95 billion package that would partly fund the war, AP reported. CBS notes that an earlier supplemental request for tens of billions of dollars has not passed. The Congressional Budget Office said last month the war could cost $2 billion to $3 billion a month for as long as it continues, partly because of interceptor replacement, and that costs could rise during exchanges of fire.
Five Democratic members of the Senate Armed Services Committee, led by Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Richard Blumenthal, wrote to CENTCOM commander Adm. Brad Cooper last week. They asked him to release publicly a rebuilding-cost estimate he reportedly gave committee members in a classified setting. “Disclosing these costs represents the bare minimum transparency DoD owes the public,” the letter says, according to Al-Monitor.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a news release: “Trump and his ego led us into this war with no plan, no authority, and no exit strategy.” That is a partisan characterization, not a finding. AP reported that Democratic legislation to end the war has failed in the Republican-controlled Congress, and that the costs are a midterm issue with elections next Tuesday.
What comes next, and what is speculation
Major U.S. air and naval strikes largely stopped in June after the Islamabad ceasefire memorandum, Al-Monitor reported, with sporadic limited strikes since to stop Iranian attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. Trump has suggested he might resume hostilities after the midterms unless Iran agrees to a deal. “We may do another little Epic Fury, or they’ll agree,” he said at a Florida rally last week, CBS reported. AP adds that he is sending more forces, including a third aircraft carrier and thousands of troops.
Whether talks produce a deal, or the monthly cost climbs again, is unknown. Any projection beyond the Congressional Budget Office range is speculation. Three things can be checked in coming weeks: the next CENTCOM update, any public figure for base repairs, and whether Cooper releases the classified estimate.
Sources
- AP via Scripps News: Iran war’s cost to American taxpayers grows to an estimated $47.1 billion
- CBS News: Iran war has cost $47 billion, U.S. military says
- Al-Monitor: Iran war has cost Pentagon more than $47B
How this article was made: Right Side News researched and drafted this article with the help of AI tools. Sources are linked so readers can check them. Spot an error? Tell us in the comments and we will correct it.