Pentagon reveals Iraq War bill for the first time: $25 billion spent, with many questioning if the true cost could be more than double

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60 days into the war between the US and Iran, the Acting Comptroller of the Pentagon publicly disclosed the war bill at a congressional hearing for the first time: $25 billion. However, multiple sources and independent research institutions point out that when the reconstruction of US military bases is factored in, the true cost could reach as high as $40 to $50 billion, suggesting the official figure is severely underestimated. (Previous coverage: Breaking: Vance rushes to Pakistan to prepare for "final ceasefire negotiations" with Iran! Trump: Willing to meet Iran's leader in person, but they must surrender nuclear weapons.) (Background: Iran's President proposes 3 conditions for a truce, a sign of diplomatic thawing?) Reports indicate that Acting Pentagon Comptroller Jules Hurst testified before Congress for the first time, revealing that since the US military launched "Operation Epic Fury" on February 28, war expenditures have reached $25 billion to date, marking the first official disclosure of the war's bill. On the 29th, the House Armed Services Committee held a hearing on the fiscal year 2027 defense budget draft, which proposes increasing the budget to a record $1.5 trillion. According to Reuters, Hurst explained that the bulk of the spending is for ammunition, as well as operational deployments, equipment maintenance, and replacements, but he did not clarify whether the reconstruction costs for damaged US military bases in the Middle East were included. Facing questioning from lawmakers, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth strongly defended the war, bluntly asking, "How much are you willing to pay to ensure Iran does not possess nuclear weapons?" He rebuked critics as "cowardly, reckless, and defeatist," emphasizing: Calling this a money-burning quagmire is providing propaganda material to our enemies; you should be ashamed. Additionally, Reuters reported that the $25 billion figure is questionable from multiple perspectives. CNN cited sources stating that if the reconstruction costs of US military bases in the Middle East are included, the true cost of the war could reach $40 to $50 billion. Stimson Center researcher Kelly Grieco stated bluntly, "This cannot be the full bill." A report from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) further shows that the replacement cost for critical ammunition alone is estimated at $17 to $25 billion, which is almost equivalent to the total amount officially announced, let alone other operational expenditures. The contradiction in the numbers is also suspicious: Reuters reported last month that the cost for the first six days of the US-Iran war reached $11.3 billion; if this data is accurate, it is logically difficult to justify that the total war expenditure for the subsequent 54 days only increased by less than $14 billion. On the other hand, the political impact of this war is fermenting. A Reuters/Ipsos poll shows that support for Trump's Iran war has slipped from 38% in mid-March to 34% and continues to decline. The disruption of oil and gas transportation has caused US oil prices to soar to a near 4-year high, and inflationary pressure has led members of the Republican Party to worry about losing their majority in the House of Representatives in the midterm elections six months from now. Currently, "Operation Epic Fury" has entered a fragile ceasefire phase, with the US military maintaining a high-scale presence in the Middle East with tens of thousands of troops and 3 aircraft carriers. This 60-day war has resulted in 13 US soldiers killed and hundreds wounded. The $25 billion bill is likely just a fraction of what will truly need to be paid in the future...

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