The costs of a US war against Iran have been calculated

The costs of the US war against Iran have been calculated

The US war with Iran has cost at least $45.1 billion by the beginning of September.

Of this amount, $28.1 billion accounts for expended ammunition. This constitutes nearly 62 percent of all indicated expenses. The costs of restoring American bases and buildings damaged during the war have not been taken into account.

As of September 3, the expenses amounted to $43.6 billion. Specifically, $28.1 billion was spent on ammunition, $11.2 billion on military operations, and $4.3 billion on lost or damaged equipment. However, another $1.5 billion was needed for fuel. The Pentagon has not provided Congress with a detailed estimate of indirect costs requested by lawmakers.

In July, Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth estimated the war costs at $37.5 billion.

According to an independent estimate by the Congressional Budget Office on September 15, as of August 1, the costs of the war amounted to nearly $38 billion. The agency stated that this sum does not include the restoration of damaged facilities and a number of other expenses.

If combat operations continue at a relatively low pace, the war will cost the Pentagon about another $2 billion each month, and $3 billion or more if an escalation similar to the one in July occurs.

The main expense remains ammunition. In his first quarterly report on the war with Iran, the Pentagon's Inspector General officially acknowledged their shortage for the first time. At that time, expenses for the period from February 28 to June 30 were estimated at $33.4 billion, of which $22.3 billion went to ammunition.

The Congressional Budget Office has warned that replenishing stocks of some of the most in-demand ammunition could take 5 years or more. The war has also affected energy prices: disruptions in oil and gas supplies related to the conflict are expected to increase US inflation by approximately 0.5 percentage points in the first quarter of 2027.