The United States' war on Iran has cost $25 billion so far, a senior Pentagon official said, providing the first official estimate of the military's price tag for the conflict even as Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth defended the proposed $1.5 trillion defence budget, calling the massive increase essential to meet "current urgency."
Jules Hurst, who is performing the duties of the comptroller, told lawmakers during the House Armed Services Committee testimony on Wednesday that most of that money was for munitions.
Hurst did not detail what that cost estimate included and whether it took into account the projected costs of rebuilding and repairing base infrastructure in the Middle East damaged in Iranian retaliation on US facilities and its bases in allied Gulf nations.
"We will formulate a supplemental through the White House that will come to Congress once we have a full assessment of the cost of the conflict," Hurst added.
Representative Adam Smith, the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, responded to Hurst: "I'm glad you answered that question. Because we've been asking for a hell of a long time, and no one's given us the number."
War popularity among Americans
The United States and Israel started carrying out attacks on Iran on February 28 and while the US and Iran are currently maintaining a fragile ceasefire brokered by Pakistan.
The Pentagon has poured tens of thousands of additional forces into the Middle East, including keeping three aircraft carriers in the region.
Thirteen US troops have been killed in the war, with hundreds wounded.
Disruptions in shipments of oil and natural gas since the war started have caused a run-up in US gasoline prices and agricultural products such as fertilisers, on top of the long list of other high consumer prices.
With just six months before mid-term elections in which US President Donald Trump's Republicans may face an uphill battle to keep their House majority, Democrats are riding high in public opinion polls as they attempt to link the unpopular Iran war with affordability.
Trump's popularity has taken a beating since the war.
Just 34 percent of Americans approve of the US conflict with Iran, down from 36 percent in mid-April and 38 percent in mid-March, a recent Reuters/Ipsos poll found.
