Jules Hurst, a senior financial official at the Pentagon, said yesterday that the United States’ war against Iran has so far cost $25 billion.
He told lawmakers in the House Armed Services Committee that a large portion of the money was spent on munitions.
Hurst did not specify whether the figure includes projected costs for rebuilding and repairing military base infrastructure in the Middle East that was damaged during the conflict.
The $25 billion figure is equivalent to NASA’s entire annual budget.
Earlier, a source told Reuters that the United States estimated the first six days of the war alone cost at least $11.3 billion.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told lawmakers that the $25 billion cost is justified given the United States’ goal of preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
In strongly worded remarks, he defended the war overall, saying it has not reached a deadlock. Hegseth also called Democratic lawmakers “incompetent” for criticizing the conflict.
Only six months remain until the US midterm elections, and Democrats are currently performing well in public opinion polls.
