# Iran war drains US missiles and money

> A CBO report puts the Iran war’s US cost at $38bn, with missile stocks strained and inflation pushed higher.
- Title: Iran war drains US missiles and money · the Guardian
- Summary: A CBO report puts the Iran war’s US cost at $38bn, with missile stocks strained and inflation pushed higher. The war’s bill is not just current spending. It…
- Keywords: iran, us military, defense spending, missiles, inflation, news, world, war, drains, money, the Guardian
- Source: the Guardian — https://theguardian.com/world/2026/sep/15/iran-war-cost-cbo-report
- Published: 2026-09-15T21:47:39+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: iran, us military, defense spending, missiles, inflation, news, world
## The bill hit $38bn
The CBO estimates the Iran war has cost the US at least $38bn, with the total rising by about $3bn for each extra month of fighting.

> cost would grow $3bn for every additional month
## Pentagon costs were close
A Pentagon review put spending at $33.4bn through 30 June, including $22.3bn on munitions alone.

> strategic inventory shortfalls
## A deadly strike stayed unresolved
The Pentagon report did not address an internal review of the Minab school strike, which killed 156 people, including 120 children.
## US bases took damage
Iranian strikes damaged or destroyed hundreds of structures at US bases across Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Oman and Jordan.
## Interceptors ran low
Patriot, Thaad and Navy interceptors were used so heavily that rebuilding the stockpile could take at least five years, even with higher production.

> would probably take at least five years
## Taiwan planning got harder
CBO warned the shortage would matter in a Taiwan conflict, where US forces could face large waves of Chinese ballistic and cruise missiles.

> especially problematic
## Oil prices fed inflation
Disrupted oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz helped push Brent crude from $64 to a peak of $103, adding about half a point to inflation forecasts.
## Some costs remain unknown
CBO could not estimate repairs to bomb-damaged US bases or future diplomacy and aid costs. It also could not examine $12.1bn in classified programs.
## Key takeaway

The war’s bill is not just current spending. It has cut into US air defense reserves, raised prices and left repair costs unknown.