Washington, United States. The United States’ war in Iran has cost $29 billion so far, a senior Pentagon official said on Tuesday, up $4 billion from an estimate provided late last month.
Updated Pentagon estimate
On April 29, the Pentagon said the war had cost $25 billion at that point. Jules Hurst, who is performing the duties of the comptroller, told lawmakers on Tuesday that the new cost included updated repair and replacement of equipment and operational costs.
Hurst said the joint staff team and the comptroller team were constantly reviewing the estimate. He spoke alongside Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine.
Methodology and previous figures
It was unclear how the Pentagon arrived at the $29 billion figure. A source told Reuters in March that the Trump administration estimated the first six days of the war had cost at least $11.3 billion.
Political backdrop
With six months before midterm elections in which President Donald Trump’s Republicans may face an uphill battle to keep their House majority, Democrats are leading in public opinion polls as they attempt to link the war with cost of living issues.
How do you think the updated war cost estimate will affect the debate ahead of the midterm elections?