The Pentagon estimates that the war against Iran has cost the United States approximately $25 billion (about 21.3 billion euros), primarily in munitions, a high-ranking Department of Defense official indicated today.
“To date, we are spending approximately $25 billion on Operation Epic Fury. The largest portion of this amount is destined for munitions,” stated the Interim Assistant Secretary of Defense for Financial Affairs, Jules Hurst, during a hearing before the House of Representatives in Washington.
A portion of this value “is allocated to operational and maintenance expenses, as well as the replacement of equipment,” the U.S. official added regarding the costs of the offensive against the Islamic Republic since February 28.
Hurst said the Department of Defense will present a supplemental budget request to Congress, through the White House, “as soon as there is a complete assessment of the cost of the conflict.”
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The parliamentary hearing, which featured the presence of Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Dan Caine, aimed to discuss the U.S. administration’s budget proposal for 2027, which could raise military spending to a historic value of $1.5 trillion (1.28 trillion euros).
According to estimates from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), based in Washington, the first 100 hours of the war against Iran cost at least $3.7 billion (3.1 billion euros), which is equivalent to nearly $900 million (769 million euros) per day.
For his part, Pete Hegseth insisted on the justification for continuing the operation, arguing that Iran has not yet abandoned its nuclear ambitions and downplaying the duration of the conflict.
“I recall the time we spent in Afghanistan and the time we spent in Vietnam. We have been involved for only two months in an existential struggle for the security of the American people. Iran does not possess a nuclear bomb,” he maintained.
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The official also criticized lawmakers who oppose the war, considering them the “greatest adversary” at this moment. “The greatest challenge, the greatest adversary we face now, is the reckless, ineffective, and defeatist rhetoric of the Democrats in Congress and some Republicans,” he declared.
Pete Hegseth stated that “Iran cannot have a nuclear bomb. We are proud of this initiative,” emphasizing that the conflict is an “incredible success” and praised the American President for having “had the courage to ensure that Iran will never have a nuclear weapon.”
The war with Iran is currently interrupted by a fragile ceasefire since last week, while mediation by Pakistan seeks to relaunch negotiations between the parties.
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Delegations from Washington met in Islamabad on April 11, but the meeting did not produce results.
Following the failure of that negotiating round, U.S. President Donald Trump ordered a naval blockade of Iran’s ports, while Iran, in turn, maintains the Strait of Hormuz under military threat, causing high instability in the global economy.
