Cost of Iran War Reaches $29 Billion as Lawmakers Press for Answers on Ceasefire and Munitions

The cost of America’s ongoing conflict with Iran is now “closer to $29 billion,” the Pentagon’s top budget official told a House Appropriations defense subcommittee on Tuesday amid debate in Congress over a historic $1.5 trillion defense budget request from the White House.Pentagon Comptroller Jules Hurst told lawmakers that the financial toll of the war has surged, surpassing the $25 billion estimate he provided just two weeks ago. Mr. Hurst attributed the $4 billion increase to the repair and replacement of military equipment, along with rising “general operational costs.” However, he declined to provide an immediate detailed breakdown.“There are costs there, sir, but I want to get back to you in writing and what they specifically are, because, as you can imagine, repair of aircraft is something that’s very hard to calculate,” Mr. Hurst said in response to questions from Congressman Rep. Ed Case, a Hawaii Democrat.Funding the exploding defense budget amid the mounting costs of the war is becoming an increasingly contentious issue as the White House seeks to push the budget through reconciliation to bypass a Senate filibuster. House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole called the administration’s plan “high risk.”“I don’t have any disagreement with what you’re trying to accomplish at all,” the Oklahoma Republican said. “I would remind you that, frankly, the use of reconciliation depends on political support in Congress. That can be very transitory. So it’s a high-risk strategy, as opposed to building things into the baseline.”As the financial realities of the ongoing conflict in the Persian Gulf come into focus, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth faced intense questioning regarding the status of the current ceasefire. Despite recent reports of the U.S. military intercepting Iranian attacks on three Navy ships in the Strait of Hormuz, Mr. Hegseth maintained that “it’s evident” the truce is holding.“Ceasefire means the fire is ceasing and we know that has occurred while negotiations occur,” Mr. Hegseth testified. He added that military escorts of merchant shipping in the region “could always recommence should the commander-in-chief want us to.”The durability of the truce remains in question, however, as President Trump this week said the ceasefire is on “massive life support.” Criticizing a recent proposal from Tehran, Mr. Trump said, “I would call it the weakest right now after reading that piece of garbage they sent us.”The hearing also highlighted bipartisan frustration over the war’s impact on U.S. military weapon stockpiles and the Pentagon’s lack of transparency. Over the weekend, Senator Mark Kelly told CBS News that he is shocked by “how deep we have gone into these magazines” following America’s barrage against Iran, and said the military has depleted its inventory of offensive Tomahawks and Army Tactical missiles, and defensive SM-3, THAAD rounds, and Patriot anti-ballistic missiles.Mr. Hegseth responded that he would have the Pentagon legal team review whether Mr. Kelly violated the law by “blabbing on TV (falsely & dumbly) about a *CLASSIFIED* Pentagon briefing he received.” On Tuesday, Congressman Ken Calvert questioned whether the military is adequately prepared for prolonged engagements. “The world has grown more dangerous, more complex, and more interconnected in its risks,” the California Republican said. “China is modernizing its military at a pace and scale that is alarming. Russia continues to wage a brutal war of aggression. And while Iran and their proxies have been dealt a severe blow, they remain a threat.”Mr. Calvert emphasized the urgent need to replenish arsenals, saying, “We know that of the munitions issue, and we know of the cost of this conflict, and we know the cost of other conflicts, and so we need to repay those on accounts that are going to be used, I suspect, in order to pay for this ongoing operation.”Mr. Hegseth again pushed back against the concerns, claiming the Pentagon is “aware of all those dynamics.” He called the anxiety undeserved. “The munitions issue has been foolishly and unhelpfully overstated,” Mr. Hegseth said. “We know exactly what we have. We have plenty of what we need.”Congressman Joe Morelle described the Pentagon’s failure to deliver timely cost and munitions reports as “excruciating.”“You know, we’ve now waited since February 28, is by my count 11 weeks — 74 days — since hostilities began in Iran,” the New York Democrat said. “And trying to get a reporting of the dollars that have been spent in this has been excruciating, and it’s been long. General Washington reported quicker to the Continental Congress than this has been in terms of reports to the United States Congress.”Lawmakers have demanded that the Defense Department provide full cost breakdowns and munitions reports by June as they continue to evaluate the $1.5 trillion budget proposal.

Cost of Iran War Reaches $29 Billion as Lawmakers Press for Answers on Ceasefire and Munitions

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