First week of Iran war cost US over $11 billion, military told lawmakers
By: Alan He (CBS News via MSN)
How long before the Boom-Boom Boys start begging Congress for supplemental funding?
USA! USA! USA! Are Trump Republicans turning into Chump Republicans?
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
The first week of the U.S.' war with Iran cost around $11.3 billion, military officials told members of Congress in a briefing this week, according to sources familiar with the meeting.
That figure is a low-end estimate and does not include the build-up costs of moving assets into place ahead of the operation's start on Feb. 28. The war was preceded by a months long military buildup, with two U.S. aircraft carriers and their escort ships shifted to the Middle East.
The estimate was first reported by The New York Times.
Sen. Chris Coons, the top Democrat on the Senate subcommittee that handles defense appropriations, told reporters Wednesday he believed the $11.3 billion figure was "roughly accurate."
Coons also said: "I expect that the total operating number is significantly above that."
He said it would be a "fair guess" that the war's daily cost is well over $1.5 billion, though it varies day-to-day depending on military operations. The cost of replacing the munitions that have been used in the war is probably "already well beyond $10 billion," he said.
The Pentagon said in a statement to CBS News on Thursday that they do not comment on " closed-door discussions or matters."
"Regarding the cost of Operation Epic Fury, we won't know the cost until the mission is complete," the Pentagon said.
A U.S. official briefed on Pentagon estimates told CBS News earlier this week that the cost of munitions used during the first two days of the war in Iran was $5.6 billion.
The Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank offered a more conservative estimate this week, figuring the war's first 100 hours cost $3.7 billion, or $891.4 million per day. That includes the cost of operating fighter aircraft, naval vessels and ground units in the region, plus upwards of $3 billion to replenish the munitions used by the military and hundreds of millions of dollars to replace three F-15s that were lost.
The Pentagon has not publicly offered any figures on the war's cost.
CBS News has reached out to the Pentagon for comment.
The war began 11 days ago, and so far, it has involved the U.S. striking over 5,000 targets, including dozens of Iranian ships, military bases, missile launch sites and intelligence facilities, according to U.S. Central Command. The U.S., Israel and several U.S.-allied Arab countries have also intercepted scores of Iranian missiles and drones.
It's unclear how long the war will last. President Trump has previously estimated it might last about a month, but he told CBS News on Monday the operation is "very complete" and could wrap up soon, arguing Iran's military has already suffered severe damage. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said in an interview on "60 Minutes" that "this is only just the beginning."
At some point, the Trump administration is expected to ask lawmakers to pass a supplemental funding package to cover the cost of the war — though the exact size of the request isn't clear.
Republican Rep. Tom Cole, who chairs the House Appropriations Committee, said last week he expects a "very robust request" from the military. When asked Tuesday about the size of the supplemental, House Speaker Mike Johnson said: "We don't know the scope of it yet."
When asked about the prospect of approving funding for the war, some Democrats have argued they need more details from the administration about the cost of the campaign and its goals.
"Before I would even begin considering something like that, they owe us an accounting of how much has been expended," said Coons. "We did have some lengthy exchanges about that yesterday. I am not satisfied with the information I've got so far."
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Some estimates indicate that $5.6 billion of munitions were used in the first 48 hours of Operation Epic Fury. That may be epic but it's not sustainable.
Trump started a war to win a participation award and the only thing Americans get out of the deal is a bigger tax bill. Are Trump Republicans turning into Chump Republicans?
Yeah, but it’s such a great name … provided you’re depraved enough to support the most prolific criminal on earth and war marketing is more important to you than risking American lives.
It's epic ... (Just sayin'.)
So about the same tax payer fraud in Minnesota.
I like the ROI much better with the Iran deal.
The Minnesota fraud was $11 billion a week? That would be $572 billion a year. Better put that hat on to douse the fire.
Better wait for the deal before touting the ROI. When is Killer Hegseth going to start begging Congress for supplemental funds?
Did I say that? Nope. Simply put, the two quoted amounts were similar. One was total fraud and one was conflict cost to date but then again you knew that and seem to once again, just be looking for a fight.
Okay. Are you trying to equate fraud with the cost to prosecute the current Iran conflict? Sure sounds like it to me.
You framed the comparison in terms of cost and ROI. Seems like the ROI to address fraud would be much, much better than the ROI to change a country's regime.
The point is that there is a process to recover funds from fraudulent expenditures. There isn't any way to claw back munitions that have been expended. That money has gone up in smoke.
Are you attempting to equate a civil crime with a war crime?
And you disingenuously tried to exaggerate my clearly tongue in cheek comment into 11 billion a week. Which I clearly never said or even inferred.
Fraud is most definitely a crime. Are our actions in Iran a war crime? Really? You make that claim already? You know that? Because I already know fraud is a crime.
From your steady posting here you talk like a devout isolationist. That worked great for us prior to WW-2. Maybe it would work this time. Doubt it but you never know.
It’s so easy to be an arm chair QB in these complex geopolitical situations but I get it. Trump bad.
Of course you 'get it', it's what Republicans have been doing every time a Democrat is in office. But for some reason they only see that as an issue when it's a Republican President having to navigate "complex geopolitical situations". But I get it, 'Obama, Biden & Clinton bad'.
Didn't the Soviet Union go bankrupt trying to keep up with the US? Not that this is the same thing but it costs money to replace those munitions. I don't think there are munitions trees
Apparently the US is the munitions tree. According to Trump, Iran even used a US tomahawk to blow up a girls' school.
(BTW, Iran may still be using weapons that were produced by Ukraine. Just something to think about.)
We may be the tree but the tree has to be watered to produce munitions. Are the munitions factories running round the clock? Do we still have munitions factories?