Overview
- The Defense Department, which updated its estimate Tuesday, now pegs U.S. war costs near $29 billion based on ongoing operations and the repair or replacement of damaged equipment and bases.
- Members of both parties are pressing for a separate, line‑by‑line supplemental to show spending, stockpiles and repairs, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth would not commit to when that request will arrive.
- Unnamed budget reviewers and outside experts say the near‑term total could reach $40–50 billion, and Harvard’s Linda Bilmes projects at least $1 trillion over the long run once replenishment and veteran care are counted.
- With a shaky cease-fire still in place, President Trump rejected Iran’s latest response and touted pressure, while briefings reported by the New York Times say Iran retains most of its missile sites near the Strait of Hormuz.
- Higher oil prices tied to disrupted traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint that carries about one‑fifth of global crude, have pushed up U.S. inflation and gasoline costs according to the latest data.