Secret Pentagon files reveal Pete Hegseth’s Iran war price tag has surged by over 25 percent
Become an Independent member to bookmark this article Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Membership today. Join today Already a member? Log in The war in Iran has cost the U.S. military more than $47 billion so far, according to Pentagon data obtained by Reuters. That figure is more than 25% higher than the Defense Department 's July estimate. The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the estimate, which it has not shared publicly. open image in gallery Latest estimate compares with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's July estimate of $37.5 billion ( Getty ) The latest estimate tied the cost to the operational costs of carrying out the war.
It includes a projected cost of more than $29 billion to replace expended munitions used in the conflict. More than $6 billion would be needed to replace military equipment and so-called "platform losses," which include the loss of aircraft, including many drones lost during the war. The figures also include a host of operational costs, from flight operations to cyber support. open image in gallery USS Michael Murphy (DDG 112) launches Tomahawk cruise missiles from an unknown location, as the United States launched strikes against multiple targets in Iran ( US Central Command ) But the US military's Iran war cost estimates did not clearly account for the massive expense expected to repair damage to US bases sustained by Iranian missile and drone attacks.
The new total compares with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth 's July estimate of $37.5 billion for the war's cost. The disclosure about the rising cost of the Iran war comes as Republicans wrestle with the political fallout of the unpopular conflict ahead of the November 3 election that will determine control of Congress for the next two years. Trump's Republican Party holds a narrow majority in both chambers of Congress. The war's impact on global energy costs has weighed on support for Republican candidates and hurt President Donald Trump 's approval ratings. open image in gallery The Iran war has become a key talking point among Democrats in the lead-up to the midterm elections ( AP ) Trump launched the Iran war jointly with Israel in February, predicting that the conflict would last a short time.
His initial strategy focused on first using expensive, high-end precision missiles to bomb Iran's defenses so it could later use less expensive munitions, including gravity bombs like the air-launched JDAMs, which are plentiful. But an April ceasefire gave time for Iran to dig out underground storage facilities, bringing back online some Iranian defenses, as well as missiles and drones that had been inaccessible. Trump has since imposed a naval blockade on Iran to starve it of oil export revenue and held out the possibility of restarting combat operations after the midterm elections.
Left out here: Leaves out what changes the picture
The article says Trump has held out the possibility of "restarting combat operations", which tells the reader US combat in Iran has stopped. Al-Monitor reports that the US has kept launching limited strikes in Iran since the ceasefire. Without this, a reader believes US attacks on Iran are paused.
How we know
- Al-Monitor reported“the US has sporadically launched limited strikes in Iran since then”Iran war has cost Pentagon more than $47B: What to know (opens in a new tab)
US officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, say the Pentagon has been planning to restart heavy fighting if ordered to.
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