Khaberni - As the American war in Iran continues with no clear horizon alongside stalling negotiations in Pakistan, the debate over cost estimates moves swiftly on the opposite side, leading to an escalation of discussion inside Congress not only about the war’s feasibility but also about the reality of on-ground military assessments in the face of conflicting announced numbers.
The debate surfaced as American officials familiar with internal assessments -reported by "CBS News"- revealed that the true cost of the war with Iran is close to 50 billion dollars, almost double the estimate mentioned by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Kin before Congress this week.
War cost: 50 billion dollars
"CBS News", according to a Pentagon official’s testimony, reports that its estimates for the cost of operation "Epic Fury" (War in Iran) by the Department of Defense are about 25 billion dollars, a figure -as the network says- that does not fully include costs for damaged or destroyed equipment, or the American military facilities that have been damaged.
According to testimonies relayed by the network’s report, this number is mostly attributed to the cost of ammunition used. The report -for instance- points out the destruction of 24 MQ-9 Reaper drones, with each costing up to 30 million dollars or more, highlighting how quickly financial losses accumulate.
"CNN" also raised doubts about the reality of the assessments announced within the Pentagon. In a previous report, it suggested the real cost of the war in Iran ranges from 40 to 50 billion dollars.
It reported from three informed sources that the estimate provided by the Pentagon -around 25 billion dollars- is considered a low figure that does not encompass costs for repairing significant damages incurred by American bases in the region.
One source stated that the real cost is closer to 40-50 billion dollars when taking into account the costs of rebuilding American military facilities and replacing destroyed equipment.
As reported by "CNN," Pentagon officials previously informed Congress that the war cost about 11 billion dollars only in the first six days, and last month the department requested from the White House approval for a request to secure more than 200 billion dollars in extra military funding for the ongoing war.
Last week, officials mentioned that the requested Pentagon budget for 2027, amounting to 1.5 trillion dollars, represents a 42% increase in defense funding.
Meanwhile, The New York Times reported Pentagon officials said the war in Iran has led the United States to look for ways to increase weapon production rates.
The newspaper clarified that ammunition stocks were already low due to the war in Ukraine and last year's "Night Hammer" operation conducted against Iran.
"War Powers" debate
Despite the escalating financial costs of the war, it remains unclear how much the U.S. administration can contain losses or limit them, with no agreement reached so far to end the war through negotiations.
Attempts by Democrats within the Senate to limit President Donald Trump’s authority to wage war on Iran have so far failed, as Republicans continue to support the administration as the conflict approaches a significant 60-day deadline, opening the door for an expected increase in losses.
Democrats have repeatedly tried -since the war started- to pass resolutions aimed at forcing Trump to withdraw U.S. forces or to obtain congressional authorization, but Republicans loyal to the American president -who have a slim majority in both the Senate and the House- have voted against these resolutions almost unanimously.
War powers -like most policies in the sharply divided Congress- have become a highly partisan issue, where Democrats -who form the opposition- pressure Congress towards reaffirming its constitutional right to declare war, while Republicans accuse Democrats of trying to use the War Powers Act to weaken Trump.
What happens after the deadline?
A procedural vote on Thursday, introduced by Democratic Senator from California, Adam Schiff, to limit war powers failed, as 47 members voted for it against 50 votes against it. This resolution would have required the President to withdraw American forces from hostile operations with Iran.
Under the War Powers Act of 1973, the American President must end any ongoing conflict after 60 days until he obtains authorization to continue the war. The President can obtain a 30-day extension due to "military necessity relating to the safety of the American armed forces."
The American-Israeli war on Iran started on February 28. Trump formally notified Congress of the conflict after 48 hours, as the law stipulates, beginning the 60-day countdown that ends on May 1.
Tomorrow, Friday, marks a deadline for American President Donald Trump to end the war on Iran or resort to Congress and present justifications for its extension, but this date is likely to pass without any change in the direction of the conflict, which has become stagnant and turned into a standoff regarding shipping routes.
Analysts and congressional aides predict that Trump may either inform Congress of his intention to extend for another 30 days or completely ignore the deadline, at which point his administration would then claim that the current ceasefire with Iran is the end of the conflict.
