The Donald Trump administration has spent approximately $25 billion (about 37 trillion won) on the war between the United States and Iran, which has now entered its third month, raising concerns that massive expenditures and ammunition depletion could create cracks in the US security posture.
According to the Financial Times, Jay Hurst, the Pentagon's comptroller (undersecretary), told a House Armed Services Committee hearing Thursday that "approximately $25 billion has been spent on Operation Epic Fury." He explained that "most of the spending is for ammunition costs," adding that "operations and maintenance costs as well as equipment replacement costs are also included." This marks the Pentagon's first public cost estimate since the war began on February 28.
The US military is reported to have exhausted years' worth of expensive long-range missiles and air defense interceptors in the conflict. Stockpiles of Tomahawk cruise missiles, Patriot interceptors and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) systems used against Iran are depleting rapidly, with consumption rates assessed to exceed production capacity. This has raised concerns that readiness for potential conflicts with China or Russia could be compromised. The White House, however, has denied any possibility of ammunition shortages.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth declined to provide specific answers regarding future costs at the hearing. Instead, he responded: "Given the Iranian regime's radical ambitions, how can you value the cost of preventing them from possessing nuclear weapons?" He also did not take a clear position on how long the war would continue.
The Pentagon is rushing to prepare a large supplementary budget to cover war costs. "Once a comprehensive assessment of war costs is completed, we will request additional funding from Congress through the White House," Hurst said. The Pentagon has requested a $200 billion supplementary budget, though Hegseth has signaled that the figure could be adjusted. The department has submitted a record $1.5 trillion budget for fiscal year 2027, but costs related to the Iran war are not included.
The hearing also saw political clashes over the war response. Hegseth exchanged heated words with Democratic lawmakers who criticized the government's strategy, saying that characterizing the war as a "quagmire" amounted to "providing propaganda opportunities to the enemy." He sharply criticized the characterization, saying: "It is inappropriate to describe a short-term operation as a quagmire while claiming to support the military. Who exactly are those remarks for?"
