The cost of US military operations against Iran has reached at least $47.1 billion through mid-October, according to Pentagon figures provided to lawmakers and obtained by CBS News, a sharp increase from estimates made just three months ago. The assessment, disclosed Wednesday, October 28, includes operating expenses and the estimated cost of replacing weapons and equipment used or lost since the war began in February.
US Central Command calculated roughly $29 billion to replenish expended munitions, $6.1 billion to replace lost equipment, and $11.9 billion in additional operational expenses, including support for deployed personnel. The total excludes damage inflicted on American military bases in the Middle East by Iranian missile and drone attacks.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told lawmakers in July that the conflict had cost approximately $37.5 billion. By early September, the military’s estimate had risen to $43.6 billion. Reuters, which separately obtained the latest Pentagon figures, reported that the department had not responded to its request for comment.
The United States and Israel launched strikes against Iran on February 28. American forces initially relied heavily on expensive precision-guided weapons to weaken Iranian defenses. An April ceasefire allowed Tehran to recover some buried weapons and restore portions of its air defenses, complicating the prospect of further attacks.
The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimated in September that US operations had cost about $38 billion through August 1. It projected additional expenses of $2 billion to $3 billion monthly, depending on fighting intensity, and cautioned that the Pentagon had not supplied information requested for its analysis.
The growing bill comes less than a week before the November 3 congressional elections, with rising energy prices adding to political pressure on President Donald Trump and his Republican Party.
President Trump has imposed a naval blockade intended to curb Iranian oil exports. US officials told Reuters that the Pentagon has also prepared options for renewed large-scale combat should the president authorize it, raising the prospect of further costs beyond the current estimate.