**Title: Pentagon’s Iran War Costs Reach $38 Billion in Initial Five Months, CBO Reports**
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has reported that the U.S. military operations against Iran have incurred approximately $38 billion in costs during the first five months of combat, which began on February 28. This figure, released in a report on Tuesday, highlights the financial implications of the ongoing conflict, with projections indicating that costs could escalate by an additional $2 billion to $3 billion for each subsequent month of fighting, depending on the intensity of hostilities.
The CBO's estimate encompasses a variety of expenses, including the replacement of munitions and equipment lost in combat, increased operational flying hours, military operations, and rising fuel costs. However, the report cautioned that the estimate is “subject to considerable uncertainty,” primarily due to the Pentagon's failure to provide the requested financial information. As a result, CBO analysts relied on government databases and publicly available reports to compile their findings. Notably, the estimate does not account for costs associated with repairing damaged U.S. bases, military casualties, future veterans' care, or expenses incurred by other federal agencies.
The report also provided insight into the potential financial trajectory of the conflict. If the current levels of violence remain low and sporadic, as observed in May and June, the monthly cost could stabilize around $2 billion. Conversely, if military operations return to the intensity seen in July, the monthly expenditure could rise to approximately $3 billion. Should the conflict escalate further, costs could increase even more dramatically.
A significant portion of the financial burden stems from the depletion of U.S. weaponry utilized in the conflict. The CBO estimates that replacing munitions expended through August 1 would amount to $21.7 billion. This includes $7.3 billion for land-attack cruise missiles, $13.1 billion for missile-defense interceptors, and $1.2 billion for other types of weaponry.
In June, the Trump administration requested Congress for $87.6 billion in supplemental funding, with $67.1 billion earmarked for the Defense Department. The CBO assessed that approximately $42.3 billion of this request is directly related to the ongoing conflict with Iran.
The report's release coincided with CBS News publishing photographs depicting extensive damage inflicted on U.S. positions across the Middle East due to Iranian missile and drone strikes. The images, provided anonymously by active-duty service members due to military restrictions on media contact, revealed significant destruction, including a destroyed E-3 Sentry surveillance aircraft at Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia and damaged facilities in Kuwait.
A separate report from the Pentagon's inspector general indicated that U.S. forces had experienced $3.7 billion in equipment losses by late June, with nearly 60 manned and unmanned aircraft reported as damaged or destroyed.
Despite the mounting costs and damage, President Trump characterized the conflict as costing the United States “relatively little.” His remarks came amid ongoing fighting, even as he declared “total and complete victory” in early April and has consistently claimed that the U.S. was close to concluding the conflict.
The war has faced increasing domestic opposition, with critics highlighting the administration's decision to engage in hostilities without congressional authorization. This week, the House of Representatives voted for the third time to limit U.S. military involvement, passing a war-powers resolution by a vote of 220 to 204, with seven Republicans joining Democrats in support of the measure.
In a broader context, the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) reported that key measures of U.S. democracy have fallen to their lowest levels in 50 years. The organization attributed this decline to actions taken by the Trump administration, suggesting that the erosion of the rule of law both domestically and internationally could heighten the risk of conflict.
As the situation continues to evolve, the financial and political ramifications of the U.S. military engagement in Iran remain a critical topic of discussion among policymakers and the public alike.