"US Spends $45.1 Billion on Iran War, Excluding Base Restoration Costs"

CNN Cites Sources in Report

The cost incurred by the United States in the war against Iran has reached $45.1 billion. However, it has been pointed out that this latest cost estimate does not include the expenses for restoring U.S. military bases and buildings damaged during the war, meaning the actual financial burden may be even higher.

U.S. President Donald Trump is speaking about healthcare policy in the Oval Office at the White House on the 18th (local time). Photo by Reuters Yonhap News

According to CNN on September 18 (local time), citing multiple sources, the U.S. Department of Defense reported to Congress that, as of September 3, the cost of the war stood at $43.6 billion, with an additional $1.5 billion in fuel costs.

One source stated that the current estimate does not include the cost of repairing damaged bases or buildings and that specific details on the indirect costs of military operations, as requested by lawmakers, were also not provided.

This figure is far higher than the $38 billion previously estimated by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) for war costs as of August 1. At the time, the CBO explained that most of the expenditures were related to ammunition usage, equipment losses, increased flight hours, operations, and fuel expenses.

Earlier, the CBO projected that if the conflict continued at a relatively low intensity, additional monthly costs would be about $2 billion, whereas, if hostilities intensified to July levels, it could rise to $3 billion per month. The CBO noted that costs could increase further if the intensity of combat were to escalate.

There are also projections that the prolonged war may put pressure on U.S. prices. The CBO expects that, due to higher energy prices resulting from the war with Iran, the personal consumption expenditure (PCE) inflation rate in the first quarter of 2027 will be 0.5 percentage points higher than previously forecast. The core PCE inflation rate is also expected to rise by 0.3 percentage points.

The United States entered the war after launching airstrikes against Iran together with Israel on February 28. Since then, with periods of ceasefire and renewed combat, the war has continued for nearly seven months.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.