Iran War Day 204: Pentagon Says War Has Cost at Least $43.6 Billion

The Iran War State of the Union: The Washington Post reported that U.S. war deaths exceeded the official Pentagon count, and smoke and flames were observed at Riyadh Airport. Photo by J. David Ake/Getty Images On Friday, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) provided Congress with an estimate of the Iran War’s costs. According to CENTCOM, the war has cost $43.6 billion through September 3, with the majority of expenses ($28.1 billion) coming from munitions replacement costs. This figure is likely an underestimate, as it doesn’t appear to include the costs of reopening damaged U.S. facilities in the Mideast or fuel expenses. Although other administration officials have given top-line estimates, this is the first unclassified breakdown of the war’s costs by service and category since hostilities began in February. Subscribe Today Get daily emails in your inbox Also on Friday, the Washington Post reported that 22 or 23 U.S. service members have been killed during the Iran War—four to five more than the official government count. The Post story, citing conversations with multiple unnamed Defense Department officials, suggested that the Pentagon’s Defense Casualty Analysis System (DCAS) is underreporting U.S. deaths (DCAS gives a figure of 18 fatalities). Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has said the reporting is false, calling the Post “worse than Iranian state media.” Smoke and flames were observed Saturday near Riyadh International Airport, following air raid alerts in the Saudi capital. Saudi officials have yet to provide comment on the disruption, which appears to have grounded flights at the airport and comes amid the intensification of fighting between Houthi and Saudi-backed forces in Yemen. AAA reports that the average price of regular gasoline in the United States is $4.47 per gallon.