The cost of the Iran war has risen to $43.6B, Pentagon tells Congress
Sept. 18, 2026, 5:09 p.m. ET
WASHINGTON – The war in Iran has cost the U.S. military $43.6 billion as of Sept. 3, according to an update shared with congressional national security committees by U.S. Central Command.
The cost update, which was viewed by USA TODAY, is almost certainly an undercount. It does not include costs to repair buildings at U.S. bases across the Middle East that were damaged or destroyed by Iranian strikes during the war, including the U.S. Navy’s logistics hub in Bahrain.
The Pentagon estimated that it has spent $28.1 billion to replace expended munitions like bombs and air defense interceptors since the U.S. and Israel launched airstrikes on Iran on Feb. 28. The prolonged conflict in the Middle East has caused a shortage of critical munitions that could leave the U.S. vulnerable in other parts of the world, such as the Indo-Pacific.
More than 50,000 American service members have been deployed in Central Command’s area of responsibility to support the war. At least 18 Americans have died and more than 800 have been wounded since the start of the conflict.
The update also provided a breakdown of costs associated with each of the armed services.
It has cost the Navy $2.2 billion to operate multiple aircraft carriers and more than 20 warships. The Air Force, which has lost dozens of aircraft during the war, has spent $6.6 billion. An additional $1.6 billion in costs have been incurred by the Army.
The Pentagon did not respond to a request for comment.
The latest cost estimate of the Iran war comes just days after Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Kentucky, introduced articles of impeachment against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, accusing him of violating the Constitution by continuing military operations in Iran without congressional approval.
House Speaker Mike Johnson canceled votes and sent lawmakers home on Sept. 17 to avoid a vote on Massie’s impeachment effort.
In an interview with USA TODAY on Sept. 16, Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Illinois, called Hegseth “the most incompetent secretary of defense we’ve had in our nation’s history.”
“He’s shown through his time in office how incompetent he really is and it continues to damage our national security and cost American taxpayers billions of dollars,” she said.
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