A Pentagon official testified before the House Armed Services Committee on Wednesday that the first two months of the war in Iran have cost the United States $25 billion. Acting Defense Department comptroller Jules Hurst told lawmakers the bulk of the expense went to munitions, as well as operations, maintenance, and equipment replacement.

Ranking member Rep. Adam Smith thanked Hurst for providing the most specific estimate to date, noting that Congress had sought the number for “a hell of a long time.” The administration is reportedly planning a 98 billion supplemental request to continue funding the conflict. Outside groups, including the Center for American Progress and the American Enterprise Institute, had previously estimated costs between 25 and $35 billion. During heated exchanges, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth defended the war as necessary to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons and dismissed Democratic warnings of a “quagmire” as propaganda. He offered no timeline for ending the conflict.

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