Overview
- Acting comptroller Jules Jay Hurst told lawmakers Tuesday the U.S. campaign in Iran has cost about $29 billion since February 28, reflecting updated repairs, replacements, and operating costs, and he said the figure does not yet include damage to U.S. bases.
- Hurst and outside tallies indicate most of the spending is tied to weapons and gear, with roughly $24 billion attributed to munitions and hardware that now need to be rebuilt.
- Senators from both parties called the estimate suspiciously low and demanded documentation, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth would not give a timetable for a full accounting.
- Independent assessments cited by major outlets place the near-term cost closer to $40–50 billion once base reconstruction is counted, and Harvard scholar Linda Bilmes warns total long‑term costs could reach $1 trillion when replacement, modernization, and veterans’ care are included.
- The budget clash lands as AAA reports average gas at $4.51 a gallon and new polling shows most Americans oppose a much larger Pentagon budget and disapprove of the Iran war effort.