What the Pentagon told lawmakers
The US war with Iran has cost $45.1 billion, the Pentagon told Congress. Officials said war costs were $43.6 billion as of 3 September, plus an additional $1.5 billion tied to extra fuel needs, according to two sources familiar with the briefing.
The briefing was given to lawmakers behind closed doors. The conflict has run for months and has drawn in US Navy carrier groups, aircraft and air defence units across the Gulf and the Indian Ocean.
An incomplete price tag
The number is not a full accounting of the war. It does not include what it will cost to repair bases, buildings and equipment damaged during the fighting. It also did not give Congress the detailed breakdown of indirect costs of military operations that some lawmakers had requested, one source said. That means the true bill is likely to be higher than $45.1 billion.
Cost estimates for the war have climbed steadily. Early figures covered munitions and flight hours; later ones added fuel, force protection and the cost of keeping ships at sea for long stretches. Fuel has been a big factor because oil prices rose sharply after attacks on Saudi infrastructure and shipping in the region.
Why Congress is asking
Congress controls military spending and needs the figures to decide how to fund the next phase of operations. Lawmakers from both parties have pressed for clearer accounting as the price tag grows.
The estimate arrived during a difficult stretch for American households. Petrol prices have stayed above $4 a gallon and diesel has sat near a four-year high, keeping the cost of living at the centre of campaigning for the 3 November midterm elections. Oil prices eased this week as Saudi Arabia restarted a key pipeline, offering some relief, but analysts said the underlying strain on fuel supply has not gone away.