Cost of war with Iran 'closer' to $29B: Pentagon official

A Pentagon official said Tuesday that the war with Iran has cost the US nearly $29 billion since it started on Feb. 28.

"So at the time of testimony from the ask, it was $25 billion but the joint staff team and the comptroller team are constantly looking at that estimate, and so now we think it’s closer to 29 (billion),” Jules Jay Hurst, defense undersecretary comptroller and chief financial official, said during testimony before a House Appropriations subcommittee.

"That’s because of updated repair and replacement of equipment cost and also just general operational costs keep people in theater," he added.

During a hearing on April 29, Hurst said the US spent approximately $25 billion on the war against Iran.

The US and Israel launched strikes against Iran on Feb. 28, triggering retaliation from Tehran against Israel as well as US allies in the Gulf, along with the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

A ceasefire took effect on April 8 through Pakistani mediation, but talks in Islamabad failed to produce a lasting agreement. The truce was later extended by Trump without a set deadline.