The cost of the Iran war to the US military has risen to an estimated $43.6 billion as of September 3, according to a new assessment provided to lawmakers this week.
The estimate from US Central Command, which oversees American military operations in the Middle East, is the latest accounting of the conflict since the United States and Israel launched the war on February 28.
A Congressional Budget Office report released Tuesday estimated that the war had cost $38 billion through August 1 and said expenses could continue to rise by about $3 billion a month, depending on the intensity of the conflict.
The latest breakdown, obtained by The Associated Press and previously reported by Bloomberg and Punchbowl News, shows continued heavy spending on munitions by US forces.
Spending on weapons increased by more than $6 billion in just over a month, rising from $21.7 billion in the CBO estimate to $28.1 billion in the latest US Central Command assessment.
The military costs are only one measure of the war’s broader impact. The conflict has also affected oil prices and financial markets and resulted in deaths and injuries among US troops.
The political impact of the war is expected to feature in the November midterm congressional elections, amid growing criticism of the conflict.
The latest cost estimate comes as the Trump administration seeks approval for a proposed $1.5 trillion military budget.
The White House is also asking Congress to approve a $95 billion package to help finance the Iran war and other priorities.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth urged lawmakers to approve the proposed budget during a speech Friday in Austin, Texas, at Saronic Technologies, a company that manufactures drones for the Navy.
“We’re asking for $1.5 trillion in the current budget to make generational investments to keep our country strong and sustain good, high-paying jobs for American manufacturers like Saronic,” Hegseth said. “We will deliver on this generational investment. We will fund this department.”
Meanwhile, Democratic senators have called on Hegseth to provide a full accounting of the costs of the Iran war.
In a letter to the Pentagon chief, the lawmakers accused the Defense Department of withholding basic budget information from Congress and the public as US casualties and taxpayer costs continue to rise.
The military’s one-page breakdown submitted to Congress includes expenses for operating warships, aircraft and bases, as well as equipment losses and medical support for troops.
According to the Defense Casualty Analysis System, Pentagon figures show 18 US troops have been killed and more than 830 wounded in the conflict.
The latest estimate does not include damage to US military bases in the Middle East that have been targeted by Iran with ballistic missiles and drones.
A Pentagon inspector general’s report released Monday said Iranian attacks had damaged or destroyed hundreds of buildings and other structures at US bases in Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Oman and Jordan.
Munitions account for by far the largest share of the latest military expenditure, making up well over half of the total cost.
Among the weapons in highest demand are defensive missile interceptors, including those used by the Army’s Patriot and THAAD systems.
Falling stockpiles of the interceptors have also raised concern in Europe. US and NATO officials told AP that there is a “beyond critical” shortage of the missile interceptors.
Saudi Arabia is also facing dwindling supplies and has sought assistance from regional and Western allies as its standoff with Houthi rebels in Yemen continues.