Pentagon officials told US lawmakers on Tuesday in a closed-door news conference on Capitol Hill that they estimated the cost of the war against Iran to have exceeded $11.3 billion in the first six days alone, according to three people familiar with the briefing.The estimate did not include many costs associated with the operation, such as the buildup of military equipment and personnel before the first strikes. For this reason, lawmakers expect the number to grow significantly as the Pentagon continues to count costs that have accumulated in just the first week.However, this appears to be the most comprehensive assessment Congress has received to date amid growing questions about the war’s goals, scope and time frame.
The New York Times and Washington Post previously reported that defense officials said in recent congressional briefings that the military used $5.6 billion worth of munitions in the first two days of the war.This is a much greater quantity and rate of munitions burning than has been publicly disclosed. The Center for Strategic and International Studies estimated that the first 100 hours of operation cost $3.7 billion, or $891.4 million each day.
The first wave of bombing used weapons including the AGM-154 glide bomb, which could cost between $578,000 and $836,000. The Navy bought 3,000 of them nearly two decades ago. Since then, the US military has said it will switch to using much less expensive bombs, such as Joint Direct Attack Munitions. The smallest warhead size costs about $1,000, and the guidance assembly costs about $38,000.Some Republicans — including Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, chairman of the subcommittee that finances the Pentagon — have urged over several administrations that the United States increase its spending on munitions production.But other Republicans have refrained from increasing military funding, and in recent days have questioned the idea of approving costly supplemental funding for a conflict they fear will become endless. Democrats have cast doubt on their willingness to support emergency funding for the operation.
