Iran war has cost $47 billion, U.S. military says

October 27, 2026 / 11:29 PM EDT / CBS News

The war with Iran has cost the U.S. military at least $47.1 billion as of mid-October, according to a new estimate from U.S. Central Command obtained by CBS News.

The bulk of the war's price tag is the cost of replacing expended munitions, which CENTCOM pegged at around $29 billion, according to the latest estimate, which was provided to lawmakers. The military also tallied $6.1 billion to replace lost equipment and around $11.9 billion in incremental costs like support for American service members.

The estimate does not include the cost of damage to U.S. military bases in the Middle East, many of which were targeted by Iranian drones and missiles.

By comparison, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told lawmakers three months ago the war had cost around $37.5 billion, not including damaged U.S. bases.

The Congressional Budget Office said last month the war could cost $2 billion to $3 billion per month for as long as it continues, in part due to the need to replace interceptor missiles to defend against Iranian attacks. That cost could rise during tit-for-tat exchanges between the U.S. and Iran, which were common over the summer…

Original source: https://www.cbsnews.com/entertainment/