On April 29, 2026, the Pentagon provided its first official estimate for the ongoing war with Iran—$25 billion to date—during a combative House Armed Services Committee hearing.

 

Pentagon Puts Iran War Cost at $25 Billion as Hegseth Berates Skeptics

On April 29, 2026, the Pentagon provided its first official estimate for the ongoing war with Iran—$25 billion to date—during a combative House Armed Services Committee hearing. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth defended the expenditure as necessary to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, while sharply criticizing lawmakers who questioned the conflict’s direction.

 

Financial and Operational Cost

Total Spend: Acting Pentagon Comptroller Jay Hurst testified that the $25 billion price tag primarily reflects the cost of "tens of thousands" of munitions used in Operation Epic Fury.

Munition Depletion: Critics and analysts noted that the U.S. has burned through a massive portion of its global stockpile, including approximately 1,100 JASSM-ER stealth cruise missiles—nearly half of the entire global inventory—and over 1,000 Tomahawk missiles.

Ongoing Daily Costs: Estimates suggest the war is costing nearly $1 billion per day. Despite this, the current $25 billion figure is lower than the $200 billion the Pentagon initially requested, indicating a slowdown from the first six days when costs reached $11.3 billion.

Asset Damage: The hearing revealed that dozens of U.S. aircraft, including an F-35 and four F-15E fighters, have been damaged or destroyed.

 

Hegseth’s "Skeptics" Remarks

Secretary Hegseth’s testimony was marked by intense friction with congressional Democrats. His key arguments included:

The "Biggest Adversary": Hegseth asserted that the primary obstacle to victory was not Iran’s military, but the "reckless, feckless and defeatist words" of congressional critics.

Rejection of "Quagmire" Label: When Rep. John Garamendi (D-CA) called the war a "geopolitical calamity" and a "quagmire," Hegseth accused him of "handing propaganda to our enemies" and asked, "Who are you cheering for here?".

Endgame Ambiguity: Hegseth declined to provide a specific timeline or total projected cost for finishing the mission, which President Trump initially predicted would take only "four to five weeks".

 

Strategic and Legal Context

The hearing took place just as the conflict approached the 60-day mark, a legal threshold under the War Powers Resolution that may require the President to seek formal congressional authorization for continued hostilities.

 

Lawmakers also highlighted the economic impact of the war, specifically the Strait of Hormuz closure, which has driven global fuel prices higher and remains a central point of contention in stalled ceasefire talks.