US Costs of Potential Iran War: $25 Billion & Rising | Live Updates

The ongoing conflict between the United States and Iran has cost American taxpayers approximately $25 billion after eight weeks, according to acting Pentagon Comptroller Jules Hurst III. Hurst revealed the figure on Wednesday during a House Armed Services Committee hearing, noting that the majority of the expenditure has been on munitions.

“Approximately, at this day, we are spending about $25 billion on Operation Epic Fury, most of that is in munitions,” Hurst told lawmakers, as reported by Defense News. He added that costs also include operations, maintenance and equipment replacement.

The conflict began on February 28 with a joint U.S.-Israeli attack. As of Wednesday, thirteen American service members have been killed and 400 others wounded, according to Pentagon data.

Supplemental Funding Anticipated

Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., questioned Hurst about whether the Defense Department plans to request supplemental funding from Congress to finance the continuing conflict. Hurst responded that a supplemental bill would be formulated through the White House and submitted to Congress once a comprehensive cost assessment is completed.

“We will formulate a supplemental, through the White House, that will come to Congress once we have a full assessment of the cost of the conflict,”

Jules Hurst III, Acting Pentagon Comptroller

Hurst also pledged to provide lawmakers with a detailed breakdown of the $25 billion expenditure following a request from Rep. Maggie Goodlander, D-N.H. He clarified that the figure “just reflects the costs of the war” and includes spending on munitions already expended.

Justification for Expenditure

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth defended the war’s cost during the hearing, arguing We see justified to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon. In a contentious exchange with Rep. Salud Carbajal, D-Calif., Hegseth questioned the value of preventing Iran from developing nuclear capabilities.

“The question that I would ask this committee is, ‘What is it worth to ensure that Iran never gets a nuclear weapon, considering the radical ambitions of that regime?’”

Pete Hegseth, Defense Secretary

The $25 billion estimate marks the first official disclosure of the war’s financial toll by the Trump administration. The hearing, initially scheduled as a review of the Department of Defense’s $1.5 trillion budget proposal for fiscal 2027, was largely overtaken by discussion of the conflict in Iran, according to NBC News.

Despite the significant expenditure, diplomatic efforts between Washington and Tehran have yet to yield a definitive peace agreement after eight weeks of fighting.