Iran war has cost $38 billion, depleted two-thirds of US missile interceptors, CBO says — SkimNews
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- Congressional Budget Office estimates the US military has incurred about $38 billion in costs from combat operations against Iran through Aug. 1, with interceptor munitions accounting for $13.1 billion of the $21.7 billion munitions replacement tab.
- The Iran conflict has consumed between one-half and two-thirds of the US inventory of Patriot, THAAD, SM-3 and SM-6 missile-defense interceptors since June 2025, and rebuilding those stocks could take at least five years even with increased production.
- CBO placed unit costs at roughly $4 million per Patriot or SM-6, $12 million for a THAAD interceptor and $28 million for an SM-3, while noting the Pentagon does not disclose how many interceptors remain in inventory.
- Land-attack cruise missiles added another $7.3 billion to the munitions bill, with non-munition costs including $10.4 billion in extra flying hours, $2.7 billion in fuel and $1.9 billion to replace equipment lost — including a THAAD radar destroyed by Iran.
- Operation Epic Fury's opening phase deployed about 250 tactical aircraft, roughly 90 of them from two carrier strike groups plus an amphibious ready group, with CBO noting the Pentagon did not respond to its information requests.
- The Defense Department inspector general separately estimated the operation's cost at $33.4 billion through June 29, while the administration requested $87.6 billion in supplemental funding in June — roughly 10% above CBO's direct-conflict figure.
- China maintains large numbers of ballistic and cruise missiles, and CBO specifically flagged the depleted interceptor stocks as a vulnerability for any future conflict with Beijing.
Why it matters: Up to two-thirds of advanced US missile-defense interceptors — each costing $4 million to $28 million per round — have been used in roughly two months of Iran combat, and CBO says rebuilding those stocks takes at least five years. That leaves the Pentagon thinner on the very weapons it would need most against China.
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