Iran war bill soars past $47 billion, a quarter higher than Hegseth's summer estimate, just days before the US midterms
Trump told a Texas rally the US is "making an absolute fortune" from the conflict — even as Moody's Analytics estimates the war has cost the average American household $2,000.A US Air Force E-3 Sentry surveillance aircraft at Prince Sultan Air Force Base in Saudi Arabia, destroyed in September, amid Pentagon estimates that damage to American bases is excluded from the $47.1 billion war bill.
Trump declared the Iran war will end "whenever I want it to end" as undisclosed Pentagon figures placed the total cost at $47.1 billion — more than 25 percent above the $37.5 billion estimate Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth presented to lawmakers in July. With November 3 drawing near, Republicans face realistic prospects of losing both chambers, and forecasters already give Democrats the edge in the House. The conflict has driven energy prices higher, dragging on Trump's approval ratings and prompting swing-state GOP candidates to distance themselves from him over Iran.
Replacing expended munitions alone is estimated to cost more than $29 billion, with losses of aircraft and drones accounting for a further $6 billion.
Those totals do not include repair bills for US bases damaged in Iranian missile and drone strikes, meaning the overall cost is likely to climb higher.
Hegseth told Pacific allies the Iran war would not divert Washington's focus from China's military build-up, as Republicans seek to convince voters the conflict was necessary.
