US war costs in Iran rise to over $47b — Pajhwok

KABUL (Pajhwok): The cost of the United States’ war in Iran has risen to more than $47 billion, up over 25 percent from the estimate made in July, a media report said on Wednesday. Reuters reported that the figures were obtained from information provided by the US Department of Defence, which has not yet been officially made public. It said more than $6 billion would be needed to replace military equipment and cover so-called “platform losses”, which include the loss of aircraft, including many drones, during the war. Trump launched the Iran war jointly with Israel in February, predicting that the conflict would last a short time. In July this year, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth estimated the cost of the war with Iran at $37.5 billion. The report added that the rising cost of the war comes as the US Republican Party faces the political consequences of the conflict ahead of the November 3 midterm elections. The war’s impact on global energy prices had reduced support for Republican candidates and negatively affected US President Donald Trump’s approval ratings. The report noted that the initial US military strategy focused on using expensive, precision-guided advanced missiles to target Iran’s air defence systems, with the aim of switching to cheaper ammunition after weakening those systems. However, the April ceasefire gave Iran an…