Iran

The US military has spent at least $47.1 billion on its war on Iran as of mid-October, according to a new Pentagon estimate, with the figure excluding damage to American bases across West Asia. A new estimate by US Central Command (CENTCOM) said the US-Israeli war of aggression on Iran has cost the US military at least $47.1 billion, with the largest share of the expenditure, approximately $29 billion, attributed to replacing munitions used during the war.

The US military has also allocated around $6.1 billion to replace lost equipment and another $11.9 billion to cover additional expenses, including support for American forces. The estimate does not account for damage to US military bases across West Asia, many of which have been targeted by Iranian missiles and drones in response to the US-Israeli aggression. The exclusion leaves the full financial cost of the war unclear. The latest figure marks a substantial increase from the approximately $37.5 billion reported by US War Secretary Pete Hegseth to lawmakers three months earlier.

That estimate also excluded damage to American military bases. The Congressional Budget Office warned last month that the war could cost Washington between $2 billion and $3 billion per month for as long as it continues. A significant portion of the continuing expenditure is linked to replacing interceptor missiles used to defend against Iranian attacks, underscoring the mounting costs of sustaining US military operations in the region.

The financial burden could rise further if exchanges between US and Iranian forces intensify again. Although such exchanges were frequent over the summer, they have become less common in recent weeks. The war is also placing pressure on US military ammunition reserves. The Pentagon’s inspector general said last month that the scale of munitions expended during the US aggression had resulted in “strategic inventory shortfalls,” prompting the Pentagon to accelerate production.

The assessment raises questions about the gap between the administration’s public assurances regarding military readiness and the Pentagon’s own warnings about depleted stockpiles. US President Donald Trump claimed in early September that the United States had “virtually unlimited amounts of mid- to high-grade ammunition, far more than we could ever use.” The administration has also requested tens of billions of dollars in additional military funding from Congress, partly to cover expenses associated with the war on Iran.

The request has yet to be approved, while Democratic lawmakers have pressed Hegseth to provide a more detailed accounting of the war’s costs. The US-Israeli war on Iran began on February 28, 2026, killing more than 3,000 people and wounding more than 32,000. During the aggression, Iran defended itself by striking US bases and assets in West Asia. The US senators said that the estimated cost of the war’s toll on military infrastructure should be available not only to lawmakers but also to the public, adding that Americans should know the full cost of Trump’s “unauthorized” war on Iran.

The senators also referenced a deployed US service member who described the damage as being like standing with their eyes closed and “getting punched in the face.” More than 50,000 US troops were deployed for the war on Iran. The Pentagon has repeatedly failed to disclose casualties from the war and has presented an incomplete picture of the war’s costs.