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Iran war has cost $45.1 billion, Pentagon tells Congress

CNN • September 18, 2026 • general

Key Points:

The Pentagon informed Congress that the US war with Iran has cost $45.1 billion, including $43.6 billion as of September 3 and an additional $1.5 billion for extra fuel.
This estimate does not fully account for all costs, excluding expenses for repairing damaged bases and lacking detailed breakdowns of indirect military operation costs.
The Pentagon's $45.1 billion estimate exceeds the Congressional Budget Office's (CBO) earlier projection of $38 billion through August 1 and the Pentagon's own July estimate of $37.5 billion.
The CBO's cost estimate primarily covers munitions expenditures and also excludes repair costs for damaged US facilities, projecting ongoing monthly costs of $2 billion to $3 billion beyond August 1.
Higher monthly costs are expected during periods of intensified fighting, according to the CBO's analysis.

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