Pentagon lowballs Iran war cost at $29 billion as real toll could hit $1 trillion
A senior Pentagon official has provided an updated estimate regarding the financial implications of the war on Iran, claiming that the war has already cost the United States approximately $29 billion since its onset on February 28, while estimates point to higher figures.
Defense Undersecretary for Comptroller Jules Jay Hurst made the revelation in a testimony before a House Appropriations subcommittee on Tuesday.
The updated estimate marks an increase from an earlier figure of $25 billion mentioned during a hearing on April 29.
Hurst attributed this rise in costs to the continuous reassessment by the joint staff and comptroller teams, reflecting updated costs associated with equipment repair and replacement, as well as general operational expenses for personnel deployed in the region.
"So at the time of testimony from the ask, it was $25 billion but the joint staff team and the comptroller team are constantly looking at that estimate, and so now we think it’s closer to 29 (billion),” Hurst said.
"That’s because of updated repair and replacement of equipment cost and also just general operational costs keep people in theater," he added.
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The Pentagon's estimates, however, have raised concerns among financial analysts and policymakers alike, who underscore the potential for far greater expenditures over the duration of the conflict.
Some experts suggest that the true financial impact of the war could ultimately reach $1 trillion when accounting for all variables.
The Pentagon's $25 billion cost estimate in April faced mounting scrutiny from multiple quarters.
At the time, the CNN, citing three unnamed sources familiar with internal assessments, reported that the figure significantly underestimates the true financial burden.
The sources revealed that the $25 billion figure excludes extensive damage inflicted on US military bases across the region during Iran's defensive strikes.
One source said when reconstruction and replacement of destroyed assets are factored in, the cost likely ranges between $40 billion and $50 billion.
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Professor Linda Bilmes, a public policy expert at the Harvard Kennedy School, also projected the war on Iran could ultimately cost US taxpayers $1 trillion.
On February 28, the United States and Israel initiated a large-scale, illegal and unprovoked war against Iran, assassinating Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei and several high-ranking military commanders.
In response, Iranian Armed Forces carried out a series of retaliatory missile and drone operations against US and Israeli military assets for over 40 days, which resulted in significant damage.
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