US Iran war cost surges past $47 billion as military losses mount

Washington: The cost of the US war against Iran has climbed above $47 billion, according to the latest Pentagon estimate obtained by Reuters, raising fresh questions about the financial burden of a conflict that has also pushed up global energy costs and weighed on President Donald Trump’s political standing.

The latest figure is more than 25 per cent higher than the estimate provided by the US Department of Defense in July, when Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth put the war’s cost at $37.5 billion. The Pentagon has not publicly released its latest estimate and did not immediately respond to a request for comment, Reuters reported on Wednesday.

The rising expenditure comes as Republicans face mounting political pressure ahead of the November 3 midterm elections, which will determine control of Congress for the next two years. Trump’s Republican Party currently holds narrow majorities in both chambers, while higher energy prices linked to the conflict have hurt support for Republican candidates and affected the president’s approval ratings.

According to the Pentagon’s assessment, replacing munitions used during the conflict could cost more than $29 billion. Another $6 billion or more would be required to replace damaged or destroyed military equipment, including aircraft and drones lost during operations.

The estimates cover a range of expenses, including flight operations and cyber support. However, they do not clearly account for the potentially enormous costs of repairing US military bases damaged by Iranian missile and drone attacks.

Trump launched the war jointly with Israel in February, initially predicting that the fighting would be brief. The US military’s early strategy relied on expensive precision missiles to weaken Iran’s air defences, allowing American forces to switch to less costly weapons, including air-launched Joint Direct Attack Munitions, or JDAMs.

However, an April ceasefire gave Iran time to recover underground storage facilities and restore access to some previously inaccessible air defences, missiles and drones, complicating Washington’s military calculations.

The conflict has since entered a new phase, with Trump imposing a naval blockade intended to cut off Iran’s oil export revenues. The US president has also left open the possibility of resuming combat operations after the midterm elections.

US officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters that the Pentagon has been preparing for a possible return to heavy fighting if ordered.

With military spending continuing to climb and the full cost of repairing damaged installations still unclear, the latest estimate highlights the growing financial stakes of a war that Washington initially expected to end quickly.