Iran war has cost the US more than $38 billion so far, says Congressional Budget Office

By Harry Bligh Published on 16/09/2026 - 9:40 GMT+2 Share Comments Add Euronews on Google Share Facebook Twitter Flipboard Send Reddit Linkedin Messenger Telegram VK Bluesky Threads Whatsapp Copy/paste the article video embed link below: Copied The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office reports that up to $3 billion more is being spent on the war each month, depending on the intensity of fighting. The US had spent more than $38 billion (€33 billion) on its war with Iran by the beginning of August, according to the country's Congressional Budget Office (CBO). ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT The estimate covers costs incurred by the US Department of Defence from the start of the conflict on 28 February to 1 August, just over five months later. The Defence Department did not provide information to the CBO for its assessment, which instead relied on government databases and publicly available reports. The CBO said its estimates were therefore subject to “considerable uncertainty”. Nevertheless, the figure broadly aligns with an estimate given by Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth in July, when he said the war had cost $37.5 billion. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth during a cabinet meeting with President Trump AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin The largest proportion of the cost is reportedly the $21.7 billion that has been spent on replacing munitions. The CBO also warned about the depletion of missile-defence interceptors. It estimates the US has probably used between half and two-thirds of its inventory of those weapons since June 2025, leaving stocks depleted for several years. On Monday, a Pentagon inspector general report warned that the US-led military campaign against Iran, known as Operation Epic Fury, had resulted in “strategic inventory shortfalls”. Related US military says it is facing a shortfall in ammunition as a result of Iran war The CBO also warned that the conflict is having a wider impact on the US economy, largely because disruption to oil and gas shipments through the Strait of Hormuz and Red Sea has pushed up energy costs. The estimate was prepared in response to a request for information from Representative Brendan Boyle, the top Democrat on the House Budget committee. Boyle criticised the amount spent: “this nonpartisan CBO report makes clear that the war has also cost American taxpayers tens of billions of dollars and counting, while continuing to drive up costs.” Rep. Brendan Boyle (left) AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite “Donald Trump and Republicans have spent years telling Americans that we cannot afford to help families here at home,” Boyle said in a statement, "but apparently they can find tens of billions of dollars, and potentially much more, for a reckless war that is leaving Americans to pay the price.” In June, the White House requested an additional $87.6 billion (€76 billion) in supplemental funding, much of it for the war effort. Congress has not approved the request. Go to accessibility shortcuts Share Comments Add Euronews on Google Read more US plans to send bombs to Israel in $2.8 billion weapons deal Fed expected to raise rates despite Trump’s calls for a cut US to divert $52 million in military aid from Europe and Middle East to Trump-friendly nations in Americas Israel Iran conflict US-Israel attack on Iran 2026 World News Iran Israel Hamas war Comments