The financial toll of the U.S. military campaign against Iran has climbed to $29 billion, a senior Pentagon official told lawmakers Tuesday, marking a $4 billion jump from figures released only weeks earlier as operations continue to expand across the Middle East.

The rising cost comes at a politically sensitive moment, with President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans approaching key midterm elections, while Democrats seek to link the conflict to concerns about inflation, economic strain, and higher energy prices affecting American households.

As recently as April 29, the Pentagon had placed the cost of the conflict at about $25 billion. However, Jules Hurst, currently serving as acting comptroller at the Defense Department, testified that updated calculations now bring the total to $29 billion.

Hurst said the new estimate reflects increasing operational costs, as well as expenses tied to repairing and replacing equipment that has been used or damaged during the campaign.

“The joint staff team and the comptroller team are constantly looking at that estimate,” Hurst told lawmakers during testimony alongside War Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine.

Defense officials have not publicly provided a detailed breakdown of how the revised figure was calculated.

Still, a previously cited Reuters source indicated that the administration estimated the first six days of the conflict alone cost at least $11.3 billion, underscoring the rapid pace of spending tied to sustained airstrikes, naval deployments, missile defense systems, intelligence efforts, and precision-guided weapons.

The Strait of Hormuz remains a central point of concern in the conflict. About 20% of the world’s oil supply passes through the narrow waterway, and ongoing instability there has heightened fears of rising fuel prices, renewed inflationary pressure, and broader disruptions to global markets.

Some Republicans in Congress, along with fiscal conservatives, are increasingly raising alarms about the long-term financial burden, particularly as the national debt exceeds $36 trillion and debates over federal spending intensify.

During Tuesday’s hearing, lawmakers pressed Pentagon officials on whether the administration has outlined a clear long-term strategy, as well as how much more the conflict could cost if military operations extend into the coming year.

Critics have also pointed to parallels with earlier U.S. interventions in the Middle East that began with limited objectives but evolved into lengthy and costly engagements. Brown University’s Costs of War project estimates that post-9/11 conflicts ultimately cost trillions of dollars over two decades.

Supporters of the administration counter that a strong response to Iran is necessary to deter further instability in the region and to safeguard key U.S. allies, including Israel and Gulf Arab states.

The Pentagon has not yet issued any updated projections for the total cost of the conflict if operations continue through the rest of 2026.

{Matzav.com}