Jens Asbjørn Bøgen
Donald Trump has suggested, the war could last four weeks or longer.
U.S. officials are beginning to disclose early estimates of how much the military campaign in Iran is costing.
The New York Times reports that a senior Pentagon budget official said the U.S. spent roughly $11 billion during the first week of the campaign.
Jules Hurst III, the Defense Department’s acting comptroller, described the figure as a preliminary estimate during a defense summit in Washington on Thursday.
According to POLITICO, he called it a “ballpark number” while noting that his office is preparing a broader calculation for a supplemental funding request expected to be sent to the White House and Congress soon.
“We’re looking to make sure we make the right investments and capabilities,” Hurst said. “So it’s not just replacing things, but buying new things too.”
Early cost estimate
Members of Congress say the final budget request for Operation Epic Fury could be much larger than the early estimate.
POLITICO reports that lawmakers who have spoken with administration officials expect the supplemental funding proposal related to Iran to reach at least $50 billion, though neither the Pentagon nor the White House has confirmed that figure.
There is also no firm timeline for the military campaign. President Donald Trump has suggested operations could last four weeks or longer, while Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has avoided giving a schedule.
Analysts weigh in
Independent analysts have published a range of estimates as the operation, known as Operation Epic Fury, approaches its third week.
The Center for Strategic and International Security (CSIS) estimated that the first 100 hours of air and naval strikes cost about $3.7 billion.
The American Enterprise Institute has placed overall operational spending between $11.2 billion and $14.5 billion so far.
Sources: Pentagon remarks, CSIS, AEI, POLITICO, The New York Times
