KABUL (Pajhwok): The six-month US war with Iran has cost $38 billion so far and is projected to add about $3 billion a month, according to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO).
The CBO, Congress’ nonpartisan budget agency, said the conflict could also raise inflation by 0.5 percent during the first three months of 2027. Its estimate covers costs through August 1, Reuters reported.
The rising costs have strained US munitions stockpiles and pushed up energy prices, raising concerns about the country’s ability to respond to other potential conflicts.
The $38 billion estimate is close to the $37.5 billion figure reported by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth at a Senate hearing on July 21.
The CBO said most of the costs resulted from the rapid depletion of munitions and estimated that replenishing U.S. stockpiles could take up to five years. It also said the Department of Defense did not cooperate with congressional financial auditors.
White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly described President Donald Trump’s attacks on Iran as “decisive action” and said the U.S. military had sufficient munitions to meet the president’s strategic objectives.
Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell disputed the CBO’s findings on munitions shortages, saying the United States had everything required to conduct strikes at the president’s chosen time and place.
The assessment was conducted at the request of Brendan Boyle, the top Democrat on the House Budget Committee.
The CBO report did not include costs from recent strikes on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz or attacks on US military installations in the region. It also excluded borrowing costs, which could add tens of billions of dollars to the overall bill.
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