The U.S. war in Iran has cost $25 billion so far, a senior Pentagon official said on Wednesday (29 April), offering the first official estimate of the military’s price tag for the conflict. The sum is equivalent to NASA’s entire budget for this year.
With just six months before midterm elections, in which President Donald Trump’s Republicans may face an uphill battle to retain their House majority, Democrats are performing strongly in public opinion polls as they attempt to link the unpopular Iran war to affordability concerns.
Jules Hurst, performing the duties of the comptroller, told lawmakers on the House Armed Services Committee that most of the spending had been on munitions.
Hurst did not specify what the estimate included, nor whether it accounted for the projected costs of rebuilding and repairing base infrastructure in the Middle East damaged during the conflict.
The $25 billion figure is equivalent to NASA’s entire budget for this year, highlighting the scale of the military spending.
However, it remains unclear how the Pentagon calculated the total, given that a source told Reuters last month that President Donald Trump’s administration estimated the first six days of the war alone had cost the U.S. at least $11.3 billion.
Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth told lawmakers the cost was justified in light of the U.S. objective of ensuring Iran does not obtain a nuclear weapon.
"What would you pay to ensure Iran does not get a nuclear bomb? What would you pay?" Hegseth asked.
Hegseth also sought to defend the broader conduct of the war in forceful remarks, rejecting claims it had become a quagmire and criticising Democratic lawmakers as “feckless” for opposing the conflict.
"You call it a quagmire, handing propaganda to our enemies? Shame on you for that statement," Hegseth said in response to Garamendi, and slammed "reckless, feckless, and defeatist" Congressional Democrats.
The average U.S. petrol price rose on Tuesday to its highest level in nearly four years, according to data from the American Automobile Association.
Trump’s popularity has declined since the U.S. and Israel launched the war against Iran.
Just 34% of Americans approve of the U.S. conflict with Iran, down from 36% in mid-April and 38% in mid-March, according to a recent Reuters/Ipsos poll.
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U.S. negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will visit Russia then Ukraine over the weekend, Russian state news agency TASS has reported, citing an unnamed source. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has also said American envoys will visit the capitals of both countries.
The Iranian Health Ministry said at least 18 people were killed and 142 others injured in U.S. airstrikes carried out between 30 August and 2 September.
U.S. negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have arrived in Moscow for peace talks on the Russia-Ukraine conflict, two people familiar with the matter said. They were met by Russian Presidential Envoy Kirill Dmitriev.
U.S. efforts to squeeze Iran’s economy through an oil blockade and sanctions are becoming increasingly difficult for Tehran to withstand, according to three senior Iranian sources. Washington is escalating pressure in hopes of securing concessions in future negotiations.
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for the 4th of September, covering the latest developments.
An Iranian tanker was hit by U.S. forces on Saturday near Iran's key oil export hub, Kharg Island, in the Gulf, the semi-official Iranian news agency Tasnim reported.
U.S. efforts to squeeze Iran’s economy through an oil blockade and sanctions are becoming increasingly difficult for Tehran to withstand, according to three senior Iranian sources. Washington is escalating pressure in hopes of securing concessions in future negotiations.
The Iranian Health Ministry said at least 18 people were killed and 142 others injured in U.S. airstrikes carried out between 30 August and 2 September.
The Iranian Army has again struck at U.S. bases in Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates in retaliation for U.S. attacks on southern and western parts of Iran late on Tuesday, which reportedly killed 18 people and injured more than 100 others.
The U.S. has launched a fresh wave of strikes on Iran, targeting Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) sites as Tehran retaliated against U.S. positions across the region, while Iranian officials said at least five people were killed and dozens wounded at a wedding near Sirik.
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