Nicolai Haugsted
Running out of high-tech missiles is turning into a massive headache for the Pentagon.
Calculations released Tuesday by Congress’s nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office reveal that six months of military operations against Iran have already burned through $38 billion through August 1, Reuters reveal.
Monthly burn rates are currently projected to stack an extra $3 billion onto the tab every four weeks while the White House hunts for an exit strategy to re-open the blocked Strait of Hormuz. Financial analysts expect the mounting bills to bump domestic inflation up by 0.5% in the opening quarter of 2027.
Budget auditors noted that the Department of Defense declined to cooperate with their financial inquiry, which was initiated by Representative Brendan Boyle of Pennsylvania, the top Democrat on the House Budget Committee.
“Donald Trump’s disastrous war in Iran has already taken the lives of brave American servicemembers and left others wounded,” Boyle stated, adding: “Beyond that human toll, this nonpartisan CBO report makes clear that the war has also cost American taxpayers tens of billions of dollars and counting, while continuing to drive up costs.”
Eighteen American service members have lost their lives since hostilities broke out. The financial tally excludes interest payments on war debt as well as damage from recent strikes against cargo vessels and regional U.S. bases.
Empty Missile Silos and the Five-Year Restock Problem
Running through advanced precision weaponry at record speed is causing major headaches for Pentagon planners.
Rapid drawdowns mean filling empty ammunition lockers could take up to five full years, with reports indicating U.S. forces have fired off virtually all available long-range precision missiles. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth previously urged lawmakers to approve emergency funding to rebuild drained inventories, telling a Senate panel in July: “Without these funds, we face critical shortfalls.”
Pentagon officials and White House staff, however, insist the armed forces remain fully stacked and operational.
White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly defended the administration’s “decisive action” to protect American interests, stating the military maintains “more than enough munitions, ammo, and stockpiles to serve all of the Commander-in-Chief’s strategic goals and beyond.” Chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell similarly rejected reports of depleted arsenals, asserting: “We have everything required to strike at the time and place of the president’s choosing.”
Damaged Bases and Energy Price Shocks
Iranian retaliation across the region has added heavy structural repairs to the Pentagon’s growing to-do list.
Inspector General reports reveal hundreds of structures across U.S. Middle East installations have suffered damage or destruction alongside fighter jets, refueling aircraft, and drones. Meanwhile, shipping blockades in the Strait of Hormuz—the choke point for 20% of global oil supplies—have triggered sharp energy price spikes for international consumers, adding further strain as total U.S. public debt pushed past $40 trillion.
Comparing current numbers against past campaigns remains a favorite talking point in Washington.
The eight-year campaign in Iraq ultimately swallowed $2 trillion, while two decades in Afghanistan cost $2.3 trillion. Whether the current confrontation stays below those multi-trillion-dollar marks depends entirely on how quickly the blockade in the Gulf resolves.
