The cost of the US war on Iran, which began on February 28, has reached $25 billion so far, according to a senior Pentagon official. In providing the first official estimate of US military spending, officials said most of that amount was used to fund munitions.
The war, which began with the US-Israeli attack on Iran on February 28, has continued for more than eight weeks without any immediate solution. Peace talks between the two sides failed to reach common ground despite the interventions of several countries.
US President Donald Trump expressed, on Tuesday, his dissatisfaction with Tehran’s latest proposal.
Most of that money was for munitions, Jules Hurst, who serves as comptroller, told lawmakers on the House Armed Services Committee.
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Hirst did not provide details about what the cost estimate includes and whether it takes into account the expected costs of rebuilding and repairing essential infrastructure in the Middle East that was damaged in the conflict.
This development comes at a time when there are only six months left before the midterm elections, in which Republicans led by Trump may face an uphill battle to maintain their majority in the House of Representatives. Meanwhile, Democrats are riding high in public opinion polls as they try to link the unpopular Iran war with affordability.
Adam Smith, a senior House Democrat, responded to Hearst, saying: “I’m glad you answered that question, because we’ve been asking for a long time, and no one has given us the number.”
On February 28 of this year, the United States and Israel carried out strikes on Iran, after which Iran resorted to attacking American military bases, as the war spread throughout the Middle East. The two sides are currently maintaining a fragile ceasefire. The Pentagon has pumped tens of thousands of additional troops into the Middle East, including keeping three aircraft carriers in the region.
Thirteen American soldiers were reportedly killed in the conflict, and hundreds were injured.
Trump’s popularity falls amid war
The war also led to the disruption of global energy supplies and oil shipments after the suffocation of the Strait of Hormuz. All of this has led to higher prices for gasoline and agricultural products such as fertilizer in the United States, in addition to a long list of other higher consumer prices.
Meanwhile, Trump’s popularity has taken a hit, with only 34% of Americans approving of the US conflict with Iran, down from 36% in mid-April and 38% in mid-March, according to a recent Reuters poll.
(With inputs from Reuters)
