The cost of the war in Iran rose to $47.1 billion through Oct. 16, with bombs, missiles and other munitions accounting for more than 60 percent of the expenses, the Pentagon told Congress last week. Even with President Trump holding back on restarting major combat operations, at least for now, the Pentagon still incurred about $3.5 billion in additional costs in the roughly six weeks since the Pentagon shared estimates with lawmakers last month. The numbers were the latest glimpse of an unclassified breakdown of costs incurred by each of the armed services, as well as for specific categories, like damaged or destroyed weaponry.
In the most recent cost estimates, the Air Force has spent $7.6 billion to pay for operating dozens of fighter and bomber squadrons. The Navy has incurred $1.5 billion to deploy more than two dozen warships, including several aircraft carriers. And it has cost the Army $2.1 billion to sustain its forces in the region. Overall, more than 50,000 troops are assigned to the war mission, according to U.S. Central Command.
Since the war started on Feb. 28, the military has burned through $29 billion in munitions, depleting global stockpiles of some critical weapons, like Patriot air-defense interceptors, and siphoning supplies from U.S. military commands in Asia and Europe. The Pentagon has spent $6.1 billion to replace dozens of damaged or destroyed combat aircraft and other weaponry and equipment. It has spent $645 million to move and support several thousand Special Operations commandos in the region. The military spent $24.5 million on in-house medical support for U.S. service members.
The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The department's figures are almost certainly on the low side, congressional officials said on Tuesday, noting that the Pentagon had acknowledged that its estimate did not include $1.5 billion for fuel and other costs that the Trump administration had asked for in a supplemental request to pay for the war. The Pentagon has indicated it may close or not rebuild damaged or destroyed U.S. military facilities, such as the Navy's base in Manama, Bahrain. If the military or host countries rebuild, congressional officials say the bill could be tens of billions of dollars.
Source: New York Times Top Stories · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing