US$43B and counting...cost for US military war on Iran continues to climb

WASHINGTON (AP) — Up to September 3, the American military spent approximately US$43.6 billion on the war with Iran, according to a new estimate provided this week to lawmakers.

The figure from US Central Command, which oversees operations in the Middle East, offers the most up-to-date cost for the conflict since it was launched by the US and Israel on February 28 this year.

A Congressional Budget Office (CBO) report released Tuesday revealed that the war had cost US$38 billion up August 1 and will continue to rack up expenses of around US$3 billion a month depending on the intensity of the conflict.

The new breakdown, seen by The Associated Press and reported earlier by Bloomberg and Punchbowl News, also showed the continued use of expensive munitions by American forces.

Weapons costs jumped by more than US$6 billion in just over a month, from US$21.7 billion listed in the CBO report to US$28.1 billion in the estimate provided by US Central Command.

The financial cost is just one measure of the impact of the war in Iran.

It is also affecting oil prices and the US stock market and has led to deaths and injuries of American troops.

The political costs will be calculated in November's midterm congressional elections, with Republicans facing increasing headwinds from the unpopularity of the war.

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