Pentagon Estimates Iran War Cost

U.S. Central Command told Congress the Iran war had cost $43.6 billion as of Sept. 3. The Washington Post, citing six U.S. officials, said the Pentagon may be undercounting American deaths; the public defense casualty database lists 18. The war began Feb. 28, when the United States and Israel launched airstrikes on Iran. The Congressional Budget Office said it had cost about $38 billion through Aug. 1. Democratic senators asked Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for a full accounting, saying Congress needed it for oversight. Hegseth urged approval of a $1.5 trillion military budget and war funding. The figures exclude facility damage, veterans’ care and inflation.