Top Pentagon officials finally put a price tag on the war in Iran so far during a contentious congressional hearing on Wednesday. Analysts say the $25 billion figure they cited underestimates the total cost by a large amount.
The cost of some munitions, destroyed equipment and operating expenses total as much as $14 billion, according to Bloomberg calculations based on Pentagon data. That includes $8 billion for some munitions, $5 billion to replace destroyed aircraft and equipment and $1 billion in operating costs for two aircraft carriers and 16 destroyers across 39 days of near-constant strikes.
That sum doesn¡¯t factor in the cost of repairing facilities damaged around the region, such as the U.S. Navy¡¯s Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain, which was hit repeatedly by Iranian strikes. It also doesn¡¯t include operational costs of all ships and aircraft in the buildup before Feb. 28 and in the current blockade.
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