According to a Reuters report, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on July 21 that the war with Iran has cost $37.5 billion so far, a significant increase of about $8 billion from the last disclosed estimate.
Hegseth made the remarks during a congressional hearing on the same day, noting that the figure covers both existing war expenses and projected spending through September 30.
It’s still unclear exactly how the Pentagon came up with the $37.5 billion number. Bloomberg reported that back in mid-May, the Department of Defense said the war had cost around $29 billion at the time — but that figure didn’t include damage to US military bases, and many analysts believed it was an underestimate.
Hegseth appeared alongside General Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, at a hearing before the Senate Appropriations Committee on the 21st. This marked the first time Hegseth faced public questioning from US lawmakers since the military restarted operations against Iran earlier this month.
With less than four months to go before the US midterm elections, Republicans are facing a tough battle to hold onto their majority in the House. Meanwhile, Democrats are gaining ground in the polls, and they’re trying to tie the unpopular war in Iran to everyday Americans’ cost-of-living concerns.
The fragile ceasefire between the US and Iran collapsed earlier this month, and since then, both sides have been launching strikes against each other almost daily.
Since the US and Israel kicked off military action against Iran on February 28, official US figures show that as of the Jordan attack on July 17, 17 US service members have been killed. Additionally, about 430 US soldiers have been wounded.