The Pentagon's Inspector General published its first report on the war with Iran on Tuesday, revealing the conflict cost the U.S. approximately $33.4 billion through ammunition, equipment losses, and other expenses — excluding the cost of repairing damaged facilities, according to an NBC report on the document. The report provides one of the first official confirmations that Iran struck the U.S. Navy's central maritime logistics hub in Bahrain with drones and ballistic missiles. It also details the destruction or heavy damage of 27 aircraft, including four F-15E fighters, one F-35A, one A-10, 12 KC-135 tankers, and more than 30 MQ-9 Reaper drones.
The Pentagon Inspector General released its first official report on the U.S. military campaign against Iran on Tuesday, providing Congress with a detailed accounting of the war's costs and damage. According to an NBC report on the document, the conflict has cost the U.S. approximately $33.4 billion — excluding the cost of repairing damaged facilities — with $22.3 billion spent on ammunition, $3.7 billion on equipment losses, and $7.4 billion on other expenses.
The report offers one of the earliest official confirmations that Iran successfully struck the U.S. Navy's central maritime logistics hub in Bahrain using drones and ballistic missiles. It also documents the destruction or heavy damage of 27 aircraft: four F-15E fighters, one F-35A stealth fighter, one A-10 attack aircraft, 12 KC-135 aerial tankers and nine additional aircraft, as well as more than 30 MQ-9 Reaper drones.
The Pentagon IG's assessment arrives alongside a series of prior cost estimates. In July, the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) estimated the campaign at $34–42 billion, while Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated the cost at $37.5 billion. A Wall Street Journal investigation in June found that repairs to the Fifth Fleet base in Bahrain alone exceeded $400 million. The U.S. House in July passed a $95 billion war budget, with $60 billion allocated to the Pentagon.
The report did not include repair costs for damaged facilities, leaving the full financial scope uncertain. The Pentagon has separately requested an additional $80 billion from Congress.
- DevelopingHegseth: War with Iran has cost $37.5 billion so far
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- StrongWSJ: Iran inflicted $13B in damage, destroyed 42 US aircraft since start of 'Epic Wrath'
- StrongU.S. defense establishment spent $40B on Iran campaign so far; Pentagon requests $80B more
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