Pentagon Inspector General: Iran War Cost At Least $33.4 Billion

The Pentagon's inspector general estimates that Operation Epic Fury, the U.S. military campaign against Iran, cost at least $33.4 billion through June 30, with $22.3 billion spent on munitions alone. The report, released September 14, found the operation has resulted in strategic inventory shortfalls and industrial base bottlenecks for resupply, forcing the Department of War to fund the conflict from base budgets meant for training and maintenance. Congress has not approved a dedicated appropriation for the war. The White House requested $67.1 billion in supplemental funding on June 24, but the Congressional Budget Office found only $42.3 billion was directly related to the conflict. The Pentagon has been covering costs by reprogramming funds between accounts, a step analysts say will likely delay weapons modernization. The inspector general's report covers the period from February 28 through June 30 and excludes infrastructure repairs and economic fallout. A separate Congressional Budget Office estimate put the cost at $38.1 billion through August 1, with the conflict running $2 billion to $3 billion per month. The true total cost remains uncertain.