Pentagon officials told lawmakers in a closed-door briefing on Capitol Hill on Tuesday that they estimated the cost of the war against Iran had exceeded $11.3 billion in the first six days alone, according to three people familiar with the briefing.
The estimate did not include many of the costs associated with the operation, such as the buildup of military hardware and personnel ahead of the first strikes. For that reason, lawmakers expect the number to grow considerably as the Pentagon continues to calculate the costs that accumulated just in the first week.
Still, it appeared to be the most comprehensive assessment Congress had received so far amid mounting questions about the objectives, scope and time frame for the war. The New York Times and The Washington Post reported earlier that defense officials had said in recent congressional briefings that the military used up $5.6 billion of munitions in the first two days of the war.
That is a far larger amount and munitions burn rate than had been publicly disclosed. The Center for Strategic and International Studies had estimated that the first 100 hours of the operation cost $3.7 billion, or $891.4 million each day.
The first wave of the bombardment used weapons including the AGM-154 glide bomb, which can cost from $578,000 to $836,000. The Navy bought 3,000 of them nearly two decades ago. Since then, the U.S. military has said it will switch to using far less expensive bombs, such as the Joint Direct Attack Munition. The smallest size of warhead costs about $1,000, and the guidance kit runs about $38,000.
Some Republicans — including Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the chairman of the subcommittee that funds the Pentagon — have urged over the course of multiple administrations that the United States ramp up its spending on munitions production.
But other Republicans have balked at ramping up military funding and in recent days have questioned the idea of approving a costly supplemental funding package for a conflict they worry could become open-ended. And Democrats have cast considerable doubt on their willingness to back an emergency funding measure for the operation, at least until top administration officials offer Congress more detail about the U.S. strategy and endgame.
John Ismay contributed reporting.
Catie Edmondson covers Congress for The Times.
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