Iran-US War: Officials from US President Donald Trump’s administration told US senators that the first six days of the war with Iran cost the United States at least $11.3 billion, news agency Reuters reported,
citing a source familiar with the matter.
The estimate, presented to Senators during a closed-door meeting earlier this week on Tuesday, does not represent the full cost of the conflict but was shared as lawmakers pressed the administration for more details about the war’s scope, expenses and long-term strategy.
Several congressional aides have said that they expect the White House to soon submit a request to Congress for additional funding for the war. Some officials have said the request could be for $50 billion, while others have said that estimate seems low.
The Trump administration has not publicly released a full cost estimate or a timeline for the conflict. Speaking during a trip to Kentucky on Wednesday, Trump said the United States had already achieved success in the fighting but would remain engaged to finish the job.
“We won,” Trump said, adding that US forces would stay in the fight to finish the job.
The $11.3 billion figure was first reported on Wednesday by the New York Times.
The conflict began on February 28, when the United States and Israel launched coordinated airstrikes against Iranian targets. The strikes have so far killed around 2,000 people, mostly Iranians and Lebanese, as the conflict has spread into Gulf countries and Lebanon and thrown global energy markets and transport into chaos.
Administration officials told lawmakers that $5.6 billion worth of munitions were used during the first two days of strikes alone.
Members of Congress from both parties have raised concerns about the impact on US military stockpiles, warning that the rapid pace of weapons use could strain supplies at a time when the defense industry is already struggling to meet demand.
Last week, Trump met with executives from seven major defense contractors as the Pentagon seeks to ramp up production and replenish depleted inventories.
Democratic lawmakers have also demanded that administration officials testify publicly under oath about the strategy for the war, including its expected duration and Washington’s plans for Iran once the fighting has stopped.
(With inputs from agencies)
