File photo: Shredded tents, destroyed jet: Images reveal hidden scale of Iranian strikes on US Gulf bases
The human and material cost of America’s war with Iran is proving larger than previously disclosed, with the Pentagon telling Congress that the conflict has cost $45.1 billion so far, while a Washington Post report said the number of US military fatalities may also be higher than the Pentagon’s publicly reported tally. The Pentagon told lawmakers that the war had cost $43.6 billion as of September 3, with another $1.5 billion spent on additional fuel, according to CNN, citing sources familiar with the matter. One official put the number at 23, saying not all of the additional deaths were directly tied to combat but involved US personnel in the region amid the ongoing hostilities.
Because of higher energy prices, the CBO said the war could push inflation 0.5 percentage points higher in the first quarter of 2027.
Three US contractors based in the region have also died since combat operations began, according to the report. The estimate does not include the cost of repairing damaged US military bases and buildings or provide a full accounting of indirect operational costs. The conflict has also put pressure on US weapons stocks and disrupted global energy markets after Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz and Houthis have control of the Bab al-Mandeb Strait.