The war with Iran cost American taxpayers $38 billion in just the first five months of hostilities, and each subsequent month could add at least $2–3 billion in expenses. Bloomberg reports this, citing a new estimate by the U.S. Congressional Budget Office (CBO), writes UNN.
Details
The $38 billion includes the costs of replacing used munitions and lost equipment, additional aircraft flight hours, and fuel. At the same time, the CBO was unable to estimate the cost of repairing or restoring damaged U.S. military bases, so the actual expenses could be higher.
The war will also affect prices in the United States. Due to disruptions in oil and gas supplies through the Strait of Hormuz, the CBO expects the key inflation measure to be approximately 0.5 percentage points higher at the beginning of 2027 than forecast before the conflict began. Core inflation could be 0.3 percentage points higher.
Munitions stockpiles could take more than 5 years to replenish
The CBO describes the depletion of U.S. munitions stockpiles as one of the most serious consequences of the hostilities. According to the office's estimate, replenishing them could take 5 years or more.
Such a shortage could become particularly dangerous in the event of another major conflict with an adversary that has significant stockpiles of ballistic and cruise missiles. The report mentions a conflict over Taiwan as one possible scenario.
An Iranian vessel was hit in the Strait of Hormuz; one person was killed - CNN15.09.26, 09:15
At the same time, U.S. President Donald Trump previously stated that the country had a "practically unlimited quantity" of munitions. Estimates by the CBO and the Pentagon inspector general point to problems replenishing certain types of weapons.
In July, Republicans in the House of Representatives proposed allocating another $73 billion to the military and intelligence services for direct expenses related to the war in Iran. Consideration of this funding has currently stalled in the Senate.