AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): Jay Hurst, who oversees auditing functions at the Pentagon, told the House Appropriations Committee during a hearing on Tuesday evening, "At the House Armed Services Committee hearing two weeks ago, that figure was $25 billion."
According to a CNN report, this senior Pentagon official said, "But the Joint Staff and the audit team are constantly reviewing this estimate, so we now think the figure is closer to $29 billion. This is due to repair and replacement costs for equipment, as well as general operational expenses to keep personnel on the scene."
CNN had previously reported that the $25 billion estimate Hurst provided to Congress in April was a "paltry figure" that did not include the estimated cost of repairing widespread damage to U.S. bases in West Asia. One source said that a more accurate estimate, including repair and replacement costs for damaged assets, is closer to $40-50 billion.
In response to a question about whether he could provide a more formal report on the cost of the war against Iran to Congress, U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said that the Pentagon "will share whatever we can whenever it is relevant and needed."
The United States and the Zionist regime launched their aggression against Iran while indirect talks with the American side were underway. In response to the aggression against its territory and in self-defense, Iran carried out Operation True Promise 4, targeting American bases in the region and specific targets in the occupied territories.
Prior to the Pentagon report, NBC News reported, "U.S. military bases and other American equipment in the Persian Gulf region have suffered extensive damage from Iranian attacks, far worse than what has been publicly acknowledged, and repairs are expected to cost billions of dollars."
NBC News further exposed censorship by the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump, stating, "Iran has damaged American bases more than the Pentagon admits. Additionally, the Trump administration has asked private satellite companies to block access to images of its bases."
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