Cost of Iran War Estimated at $43.6 Billion

Supported by

For the first time, the Pentagon reported costs incurred by each armed service. The figures are almost certainly on the low side, congressional officials said.

The cost of the war in Iran was $43.6 billion through Sept. 3, with bombs, missiles and other munitions accounting for more than 60 percent of the expenses, the Pentagon told Congress this week.

The estimate for the first time offered an unclassified breakdown of costs incurred by each of the armed services, as well as for specific categories, like damaged or destroyed weaponry.

The Air Force, for instance, has spent $6.6 billion to pay for operating dozens of fighter and bomber squadrons. The Navy has incurred $2.2 billion in costs to deploy more than two dozen warships, including several aircraft carriers. And it has cost the Army $1.6 billion to sustain its forces in the region. Overall, more than 50,000 troops are assigned to the war mission, according to U.S. Central Command.

Congressional officials shared the cost estimates with The New York Times after it was provided to congressional national security committees.

Since the war started on Feb. 28, the military has burned through $28.1 billion in munitions, seriously depleting global stockpiles of some critical weapons, like Patriot air-defense interceptors, and siphoning supplies from U.S. military commands in Asia and Europe.

The Pentagon has spent $4.3 billion to replace dozens of damaged or destroyed combat aircraft and other weaponry and equipment. It has spent $633 million to move and support several thousand Special Operations commandos in the region.

Cost of Iran War Estimated at $43.6 Billion

More from The New York Times