Eight months into the conflict, the U.S. war with Iran gets a revised price tag

Among the many questions surrounding the war with Iran is just how much this disastrous and destabilizing conflict is costing American taxpayers. The answer continues to be a moving target. Last month, for example, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office concluded the war had cost $38 billion, but it was clear almost immediately that figure was incomplete: It didn’t include the costs associated with repairing U.S. military bases hit by Iranian strikes, replacing munitions stockpiles, the economic costs imposed on the American public or the interest on the national debt (among other things).

The CBO might have come up with a better number, but the office was hampered by the Defense Department’s refusal to provide any information. Nevertheless, the Pentagon told lawmakers in mid-September that the conflict had cost $43.6 billion. This week, the DOD revised that total. The New York Times reported: The cost of the war in Iran rose to $47.1 billion through Oct. 16, with bombs, missiles and other munitions accounting for more than 60 percent of the expenses, the Pentagon told Congress last week.

Even with President Trump holding back on restarting major combat operations, at least for now, the Pentagon still incurred about $3.5 billion in additional costs in the roughly six weeks since the Pentagon shared estimates with lawmakers last month. The Times added that the department’s latest price tag is “almost certainly on the low side” and failed to include a variety of related costs. Noting that the Republican White House launched the war exactly eight months ago, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a statement, “For eight months, American families have been buried by the heavy cost of Trump’s disastrous war in Iran.

Twenty-one servicemembers have died and hundreds more have been wounded. Prices are skyrocketing, and families are struggling to make ends meet. Meanwhile, Republicans continue to look the other way.” The New York Democrat added, “Trump and his ego led us into this war with no plan, no authority, and no exit strategy. Senate Democrats will continue to do everything in our power to end this disaster of a war and stop the costs, chaos, and corruption seeping from the White House.”

Meanwhile, as the ninth month of war gets underway, there’s new reason to believe the conflict is poised to turn hot again. The Wall Street Journal reported, “The U.S. has told several Gulf Arab countries to be prepared for a short, intense military campaign after the U.S. midterm elections, people briefed on the conversations said. “The communications through diplomatic and military channels are among a growing number of indications that the U.S. and Israel are readying to launch a new round of heavy combat operations against Iran, risking a major escalation in hopes of degrading Tehran’s strength and pushing it toward negotiations.”

This post updates our related earlier coverage.