Overview
- The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said on Tuesday that the U.S. campaign against Iran has cost roughly $38 billion through Aug. 1 and could add about $2 billion to $3 billion per month if operations continue.
- Replacing expended munitions is the largest expense, with the CBO estimating $21.7 billion to replace weapons used through Aug. 1, including $13.1 billion for missile‑defense interceptors and $7.3 billion for land‑attack cruise missiles.
- The CBO found the U.S. has likely used between one‑half and two‑thirds of its interceptor inventory since June 2025 and said rebuilding those stocks could take at least five years even with accelerated procurement.
- A Pentagon inspector general report covering Feb. 28–June 30 tallied about $33.4 billion in Pentagon costs, documented damage to bases and aircraft and reported roughly $22.3 billion spent on expended munitions, while the Defense Department declined to provide full data to the CBO.
- The reports warn of broader effects: supply‑chain bottlenecks for solid rocket motors and propellants, added pressure on inflation (CBO estimates a 0.5 percentage‑point boost to early‑2027 inflation), and an unresolved $87.6 billion June supplemental funding request that is fueling partisan battles ahead of the midterm elections.