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Estimated Cost of US War in Iran Rises to $29 Billion
A senior Pentagon official told a House subcommittee Tuesday that the estimated cost of the war in Iran has increased to $29 billion from a previous $25 billion figure reported at the end of April. The update came during a hearing on President Trump’s $1.5 trillion budget request for fiscal year 2027. Officials also addressed questions about munitions stockpiles and plans to increase production.
May 12, 1:28 PM·1m read1 source
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The estimated cost of the war in Iran has risen to $29 billion, up from $25 billion at the end of April, according to a senior Pentagon official. Jules Hurst, acting under secretary of Defense, told the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense on Tuesday that the Joint Staff and comptroller teams have continued to refine the estimate.
“The Joint Staff team, with the comptroller team are constantly looking at that estimate, and so now we think it’s closer to $29 billion,” Hurst said. During the roughly two-hour hearing, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth responded to questions from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle who expressed dissatisfaction with the level of detail provided so far on war costs.
“We’ll share what we can,” Hegseth said. Lawmakers also raised questions about the effect of the conflict on U.S. munitions stockpiles and potential risks to national security. Without providing specific figures on current levels, Hegseth stated that the United States has sufficient firepower for its requirements while the Trump administration plans additional measures to increase production.
“I take issue with the characterization that munitions are depleted in a public forum,” Hegseth said.
Hegseth and other Pentagon officials appeared before the subcommittee as it reviewed President Trump’s $1.5 trillion budget request for fiscal year 2027. Hurst described part of the proposed increase as a one-time adjustment. “I would characterize that as a onetime plus-up for catch-up,” Hurst said of the budget proposal.
He added that approximately $200 billion of the amount tied to reconciliation measures represents a one-time expense. “We think we can sustain these investments with discretionary dollars after this,” he said. The hearing included testimony from Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen.
