Media: Iran war has cost US at least $43.3 billion

The war in Iran has cost the United States at least $43.3 billion as of September 3, according to defence officials who briefed lawmakers this week, two sources familiar with the matter and documentation reviewed by ABC News.

President Donald Trump announced “major combat operations” against Iran on Feb. 28, with massive joint U.S.-Israeli strikes targeting military, government and infrastructure sites.

In June, U.S. and Iranian delegations entered negotiations aimed at reaching a deal to end the war, based on a memorandum of understanding signed by the two countries.

The talks subsequently broke down as the United States and Iran continued to exchange strikes, with the strategically important Strait of Hormuz emerging as the primary flashpoint. In August, Trump said the United States would launch a “crushing economic operation” aimed at forcing Tehran into submission.

The $43.3 billion estimate, attributed to U.S. Central Command, includes $4.3 billion in costs to replace destroyed military equipment and approximately $28 billion spent replacing munitions, according to the ABC News report.

The estimate does not include the cost of rebuilding or replacing the hundreds of buildings destroyed on U.S. military bases.

A separate analysis by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office released Sept. 15 estimated that the Defense Department had incurred about $38 billion in costs from the conflict as of Aug. 1. The estimate included the cost of replacing expended munitions and equipment lost in combat, as well as increased flying hours, other operations and fuel costs.

The CBO said the cost of the conflict would continue to rise. If the level of violence remained as low as it was in May and June, an additional month of fighting would cost about $2 billion. If combat intensity returned to roughly the level seen in July, the monthly cost would rise to about $3 billion, with costs potentially increasing further if the conflict escalated.

By Tamilla Hasanova