Afrasianet - As the U.S. war in Iran continues with no clear horizon as Pakistan's negotiations falter, the debate over cost estimates on the other side is moving at a rapid pace, escalating debate within Congress not only about the feasibility of the war, but also about the reality of military assessments on the ground, with conflicting figures on casualties reported.
The debate surfaced as U.S. officials familiar with internal assessments revealed to CBS News that the true cost of a war with Iran is close to $50 billion, nearly double the estimate given by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Kean before Congress this week.
The cost of the war is $50 billion
CBS News, according to the testimony of a Pentagon official, said his estimate of the cost of the Defense Department's "Epic Fury" (Iran War) is roughly $25 billion, a figure that the network says does not fully include the cost of damaged or destroyed equipment, or damaged U.S. military installations.
According to the report, this figure is mostly due to the cost of munitions used. For example, the report notes the destruction of 24 MQ-9 Reaper drones, each costing $30 million or more, highlighting how quickly financial losses have accumulated.
CNN has also raised doubts about the veracity of the assessments announced within the Pentagon. In a previous report, it suggested that the true estimate of the cost of the war in Iran is between $40 billion and $50 billion.
The Pentagon's estimate of about $25 billion is a low figure and does not include the cost of repairing the extensive damage to U.S. bases in the region.
One of the sources said the real cost was closer to $40-50 billion when accounting for the costs of rebuilding U.S. military facilities and replacing destroyed equipment.
Pentagon officials had earlier told Congress that the war had cost about $11 billion in the first six days alone, and that the department had asked the White House last month to approve a request for more than $200 billion in additional military funding for the ongoing war.
Officials said last week that the Pentagon's requested budget for 2027 — of $1.5 trillion — represents a 42 percent increase in Defense Department funding.
The New York Times quoted defense officials as saying that the Iran war has prompted the United States to look for ways to increase arms production.
Ammunition stockpiles were already low due to the war in Ukraine and Operation Night Hammer carried out on Iran last year.
The "War Powers Controversy"
Despite the accelerating financial cost of the war, it remains unclear how much the administration will be able to contain or limit the losses, with no agreement to end the war negotiated so far.
Repeated attempts by Democrats in the Senate to limit President Donald Trump 's power to wage war on Iran have so far failed, while Republicans continue to support the administration as the conflict approaches a key 60-day deadline, opening the door to an expected increase in losses.
Since the war began, Democrats have repeatedly tried to pass resolutions aimed at forcing Trump to withdraw U.S. troops or obtain a congressional authorization, but Republicans loyal to the president, who have slim majorities in the Senate and House of Representatives, have voted against these resolutions almost unanimously.
War powers, like most policies in a deeply divided Congress, have become a partisan issue par excellence, with Democrats, who form the opposition, pushing Congress to reaffirm its constitutional right to declare war, while Republicans accuse Democrats of trying to use the War Powers Act to weaken Trump.
What after the time-out?
A procedural vote on Thursday by Democratic Senator Adam Schiff of California to pass a resolution limiting the powers of war failed, with 47 members voting in favor and 50 against. The resolution would have obliged the president to withdraw U.S. troops from hostilities with Iran.
Under the War Powers Act of 1973, the president must end any dispute after 60 days until he receives authorization to continue the war. The president can obtain a 30-day extension because of "an imperative military necessity related to the safety of the U.S. armed forces."
The U.S.-Israeli war on Iran began on Feb. 28. Trump formally notified Congress of the conflict 48 hours later, as required by law, to begin the 60-day countdown.
US President Donald Trump's deadline to end the war on Iran or go to Congress to extend it expires on Friday, but that date is likely to pass without a change in the course of the stalemate conflict that has turned into a confrontation over shipping routes.
Analysts and congressional aides expect Trump to either notify Congress of his intention to extend the 30-day extension or ignore the deadline altogether, with his administration claiming that the current ceasefire with Iran is the end of the conflict.
