Intel Officials Predict the Pentagon’s Bill for the Iran War Will Exceed $100 Billion
US intelligence officials estimate the total military cost of the ongoing conflict with Iran could exceed $100 billion. The Pentagon has not officially disclosed these figures, and costs remain uncertain due to decisions regarding the replacement of damaged aircraft and drones.
Why it matters
The massive financial burden of the conflict highlights the economic strain of sustained military operations and raises questions about government transparency regarding war spending.
President Donald Trump restarted the Iran conflict with days of missile strikes, and US intelligence officials now estimate the total military cost of the war for the Pentagon could exceed $100 billion, according to two people directly familiar with the matter.
The officials were tracking the total cost of Operation Epic Fury to be in the $50 to $100 billion range at the end of May, dovetailing with confidential congressional estimates putting the costs to date at around $80 billion.
The Trump administration has not disclosed its cost estimates for the Iran war. In June the White House made a request for $88 billion to cover some of the costs of the war, but even that is an undercounting, the people say.
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