The cost of the war in Iran for the US is twice the Pentagon's estimate - CBS News
Kyiv • UNN
The war in Iran costs about $50 billion — twice as much as the Pentagon estimates. The public assessment does not take into account the loss of 24 MQ-9 Reaper drones and the costs of deploying and maintaining troops.
The true cost of the war in Iran is closer to $50 billion, which is roughly double the public estimate the Pentagon provided in congressional testimony this week. CBS News reports this, citing U.S. officials familiar with internal assessments, UNN reports.
Details
It is noted that the Pentagon estimated the cost of Operation "Epic Fury" at approximately $25 billion, a figure that does not fully account for damaged or destroyed equipment or damaged U.S. military facilities.
Much of the gap is attributed to weaponry that was used and requires replacement. For example, the Pentagon lost 24 MQ-9 Reaper drones—sophisticated unmanned aerial vehicles that can cost $30 million or more each—highlighting how quickly financial losses mounted. Collectively, the higher estimate reflects not only the pace of operations but also the often invisible costs of attrition,
Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut questioned whether the operation cost only $25 billion. A similar doubt was expressed by Democratic Senator Chris Coons of Delaware.
"I'm frankly confident that's low," he said, suggesting the figure does not include the cost of deploying and maintaining forces in the theater of operations for two months and other expenses.
Recall
Key Republicans in the U.S. Congress opposed Donald Trump's proposed $1.5 trillion defense budget, which calls for a 44% increase in spending.