WASHINGTON — The United States military has spent more than $47 billion so far on its war with Iran, more than 25 percent higher than the Defense Department's estimate in July, according to Pentagon data obtained by Reuters. The figure has not been shared publicly, and the Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment on it, Reuters reported on Tuesday.
Source: Reuters
Yaani, in easy terms: $47 billion means about 4,700 crore US dollars spent on this one war so far — and the bill is still rising.
Most of the projected bill is for restocking. More than $29 billion would be needed just to replace the munitions already used in the conflict, and more than $6 billion to replace military equipment and so-called platform losses, including aircraft and many drones lost during the war, according to the estimate reported by Reuters. The figures cover operational costs from flight operations to cyber support, but they did not clearly account for the expected cost of repairing US bases damaged by Iranian missile and drone attacks — meaning the final bill could be higher.
Trump: the war ends 'whenever I want it to'
Speaking at a rally in Lubbock, Texas, President Donald Trump reiterated that the war will end “whenever I want it to,” while insisting Tehran must never have a nuclear weapon, CNBC reported. “Somebody asked me before, 'When will the war in Iran end?' I said, 'Whenever I want it to end,'” Trump said, adding that ending it “would be very quick, but we have to have an end properly,” with a total statement that Iran would never have a nuclear weapon.
Trump launched the war jointly with Israel in February, predicting at the time that the conflict would last only a short time. His initial strategy used expensive, high-end precision missiles against Iran's defences so that cheaper munitions, including gravity bombs such as air-launched JDAMs, could be used later. But an April ceasefire gave Iran time to dig out underground storage facilities and bring some defences, missiles and drones back online, Reuters reported. Washington has since imposed a naval blockade on Iran and held out the possibility of restarting combat operations after the November 3 midterm elections; US officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters the Pentagon has been planning to restart heavy fighting if ordered.
Political cost at home, and what it means for the Gulf
The rising bill lands a week before the November 3 elections that will decide control of Congress. The war's impact on global energy costs has weighed on Republicans and on Trump's standing: his approval rating stood at 32 percent in a Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Monday. Moody's Analytics chief economist Mark Zandi said on October 12 that the war was costing American families an average of $2,000 so far — $1,100 from higher energy costs, $540 from higher interest-rate costs and $360 from increased military spending.
For readers in the Gulf — where lakhs of Punjabi and Indian workers live — the numbers matter beyond Washington: a war that has already cost $47 billion, a naval blockade on Iran and talk of renewed strikes after November 3 all feed directly into oil prices, shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, flight routes and remittances. What happens next depends on whether Trump chooses a deal with Tehran or orders the heavy fighting the Pentagon is reported to be planning for.