Staff Reports
PHOENIX — Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly joined Senate Democrats this week in calling on the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office to provide an independent assessment of the costs of the U.S. war in Iran, citing inconsistent and incomplete estimates from the Trump administration.
In a letter to the CBO, Kelly and his colleagues argued that the American public deserves transparency about the financial toll of Operation Epic Fury.
“The American people deserve to know the true costs of this conflict, and they deserve transparency and honesty when their government commits the nation to war,” the senators wrote.
The letter was signed by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR), and more than a dozen other Democrats, including Sens. Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Ed Markey (D-MA), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Peter Welch (D-VT), and Ron Wyden (D-OR).
Discrepancies in cost estimates
Acting Comptroller of the Department of Defense Jay Hurst told Congress on April 29 — roughly two months into the conflict — that the operation would cost about $25 billion. Weeks later, Hurst revised the figure upward to approximately $29 billion.
Independent analysts, investigative journalists, and even some conservative experts have produced significantly higher projections. Some Republican lawmakers have reportedly been briefed on daily Pentagon spending reaching as much as $2 billion — roughly quadruple the initial per-day figure implied by Hurst’s early testimony.
Public reports indicate the administration’s estimates to Congress did not fully account for damaged or destroyed equipment or U.S. military installations in the Middle East. When those factors are included, costs could reach $40–50 billion for rebuilding bases and replacing assets alone.
Elaine McCusker, who served as deputy comptroller at the Pentagon during President Trump’s first term, estimated the cost at up to $35 billion as of the April 7 ceasefire. Broader analyses that factor in operations, munitions, equipment losses, and U.S. military aid have placed the total as high as $72 billion for the first 60 days. Those figures could rise further when indirect costs, such as elevated energy prices and long-term veteran care, are included.
“It is essential that Congress and the American public receive accurate, comprehensive estimates of the costs of the war in Iran,” the senators wrote.
Push for oversight amid major funding request
The senators’ request comes as the Trump administration prepares to seek up to $200 billion in supplemental funding for the Iran conflict, on top of its recently submitted $1.5 trillion defense budget request.
“[CBO’s] timely and comprehensive estimate of the immediate and long-term budgetary consequences will help ensure that the Iran war remains subject to rigorous and appropriate legislative oversight,” the letter concluded.
A copy of the full letter is available here.
The conflict in Iran has drawn intense scrutiny over its strategic goals, outcomes, and now its price tag. Sen. Kelly, a former Navy aviator and astronaut, has emphasized the need for clear accounting as Congress considers further appropriations.
