The United States has spent more than $47 billion on its war against Iran, according to the latest Pentagon estimate obtained by Reuters, highlighting a sharp increase in the financial cost of the conflict since the previous assessment in July. The new figure is more than 25% higher than the $37.5 billion estimate given by Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth at that time.
The Pentagon has not publicly released the latest estimate and did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The figures cover a range of military operational expenses, including flight operations and cyber support, as well as the projected costs of replacing weapons and equipment used or lost during the war.
More than $29 billion would be required to replenish expended munitions, according to the Pentagon data. A further $6 billion or more would be needed to replace military equipment and what the department describes as “platform losses”, including aircraft and drones destroyed or lost during the conflict.
The estimate does not clearly account for the substantial costs expected to repair damage to US military bases caused by Iranian missile and drone attacks, leaving the full financial burden uncertain.
President Donald Trump launched the war jointly with Israel in February, predicting that the conflict would be brief. The initial US strategy focused on using expensive, high-end precision missiles to destroy Iranian defences, allowing the military subsequently to rely on less costly weapons, including gravity bombs and air-launched Joint Direct Attack Munitions, or JDAMs.
However, an April ceasefire gave Iran time to recover equipment and weapons from underground storage facilities. Some Iranian air defences, missiles and drones that had previously been inaccessible were brought back into operation, complicating the US military campaign.
Trump has since imposed a naval blockade on Iran aimed at depriving the country of oil export revenue. He has also raised the possibility of resuming combat operations after the US midterm elections on 3 November, which will determine control of Congress for the following two years.
US officials, speaking to Reuters on condition of anonymity, said the Pentagon had been planning for a resumption of heavy fighting if ordered to do so. The prospect of renewed operations comes as the cost of the conflict continues to rise and the military faces further potential expenditure on weapons, equipment and damaged facilities.
The financial disclosure also comes at a politically sensitive time for Trump’s Republican Party, which holds narrow majorities in both chambers of Congress. Republicans are confronting the political consequences of an unpopular war ahead of the midterm elections.
Higher global energy costs linked to the conflict have weakened support for Republican candidates and contributed to a decline in Trump’s approval ratings, according to the report. The rising military bill adds another pressure point as the party seeks to retain control of Congress.
The latest Pentagon assessment places the war’s estimated cost above $47 billion, compared with Hegseth’s July figure of $37.5 billion, while leaving the expense of repairing damage to US bases insufficiently accounted for.
