Iran war has cost the US $25 billion, Pentagon says – USA Today
The Trump administration appeared defiant Wednesday that they will stick to their strategy of blockading Iran’s ports until the country disavows its nuclear program, despite criticisms over the war’s ballooning costs and its impact on Americans.
“At this moment, there will never be a deal unless they agree there will be no nuclear weapons,” President Donald Trump told reporters in the Oval Office, indicating talks with Iran are ongoing but that he’s prepared to blockade the Islamic republic for months.
The blockade is expected to exact a heavy economic toll on Iran and Trump has signaled that he expects the country to cave under the pressure. But the naval operation, along with Iran’s blocking of the Strait of Hormuz, threatens to raise costs for Americans.
Around the same time, Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth on Wednesday sparred with lawmakers on Capitol Hill over the war’s costs. The Pentagon’s acting comptroller said the war has cost around $25 billion to date. Asked about the estimate, Hegseth told lawmakers: “The question I would ask this committee is, what is it worth to ensure that Iran never gets a nuclear weapon?
Meanwhile, global energy prices have continued to rise, driving average U.S. gas prices to their highest level in four years. New polling shows Trump’s approval rating dropped to its lowest point yet as the war inflicts economic pain on Americans.
Joey Garrison
President Donald Trump on Wednesday threatened to reduce the number of U.S. troops stationed in Germany as he clashes with the country’s chancellor, Friedrich Merz, over the United States’ and Israel’s war in Iran.
Trump did not explicitly say why he’s looking at a troop reduction in Germany. But the threat, made in a post on Truth Social, comes as Trump has assailed Merz after the German chancellor on Monday said the United States has been “humiliated” by the Iranian regime and lacks a “convincing strategy” to end the war.
“The United States is studying and reviewing the possible reduction of Troops in Germany, with a determination to be made over the next short period of time,” Trump said in the post.
Trump, in a Truth Social Post on April 27 following the German chancellor’s comments, said Merz “thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon,” adding that, “He doesn’t know what he’s talking about!”
The U.S. has about 35,000 active-duty military personnel stationed in Germany, the most of any European country.
Michael Loria
President Trump indicated Wednesday he is prepared to continue blockading Iran for months until the country disavows its nuclear program. The president has indicated he expects the economic pressure resulting from the blockade will force Iran to yield to his demands.
Central Command, the U.S. military organization overseeing operations in the Middle East, estimated Wednesday afternoon that the blockade has deprived Iran of $6 billion after the Navy stopped 41 oil tankers from leaving the region.
“Right now there are 41 tankers with 69 million barrels of oil that the Iranian regime can’t sell,” Central Command said in a statement. “That’s an estimated $6 billion-plus from which Iran’s leadership cannot financially benefit.”
Top Iranian officials downplayed the impact the blockade is having on the Islamic republic.
“3 days in, no well exploded,” said Iran’s Speaker of Parliament Mohammad B. Ghalibaf, referring to claims Trump made that the country’s oil infrastructure could “explode” due to Iran being unable to empty its wells. “That was the kind of junk advice the US admin gets from people like Bessent who also push the blockade theory.”
Ghalibaf said he expects Brent crude oil prices, which hit $120 per barrel on Wednesday, to continue rising to $140.
Joey Garrison
President Donald Trump hailed the United States’ maritime blockade on Iran as “genius,” yet wouldn’t say how long he might keep it going.
“The blockade is genius, OK?” the president said Wednesday when asked whether he’s prepared to maintain the blockade on the Strait or Hormuz for additional months. “The blockade has been 100% foolproof. It shows you how good our Navy is, I can tell you that.”
Trump’s public remarks came one day after he discussed a possible months-long extension of the blockade during a private White House meeting with oil executives. Addressing reporters Wednesday, Trump boasted that “militarily, we’ve wiped them out,” adding that Iran has a “dead economy” as a result of the blockade. But he stopped short of saying he plans to maintain the blockade for the long haul.
Amid the United States blockade of Iran, gas prices in the United States this week reached its highest level in four years at $4.229 for a gallon of regular gasoline, according to AAA.
Francesca Chambers
Trump told reporters that the United Arab Emirates’ withdrawal from OPEC, a group of about a dozen oil-producing nations, could help bring down energy costs.
OPEC sets limits on how much petroleum its members can sell, giving it significant sway over global prices. UAE leaving weakens it.
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office on Wednesday afternoon, Trump said he thinks “it’s great” that the UAE is leaving the oil cartel and the nation’s leader, Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, seems to be going his own way.
“That’s a good thing for, I think for, ultimately, it’s a good thing for getting the price of gas down, getting oil down, getting everything down. They have it all,” Trump said. “They’re having some problems in OPEC.”
Christopher Cann
President Donald Trump said Iran talks are taking place by phone after he canceled a second round of in-person negotiations to end the war more than a week ago.
Trump said that while he prefers in-person talks, he will wait until Iran makes a proposal that meets U.S. demands before sending another delegation to Pakistan.
“They’ve come a long way, the question is whether or not they’re going to go far enough,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. “At this moment, there will never be a deal unless they agree that there will be no nuclear weapons.”
Christopher Cann
President Donald Trump on Wednesday said he spoke with King Charles about the war in Iran and what he sees as a lack of help from the United Kingdom and other NATO allies.
“If it were up to him, he would have probably helped us with Iran,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office, speaking about the king. Trump and Charles met at the White House on Tuesday, April 28.
Trump has threatened to pull out of NATO after he said countries refused to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz. The king in a congressional address on Tuesday made references to the defense alliance and said the U.S. and U.K. must remain strong allies united in defending democracy.
Francesca Chambers
Trump said he spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin about the ongoing conflict between the U.S. and Iran during a telephone call earlier Wednesday.
They also discussed Russia’s war on Ukraine, Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.
Putin told him “he’d like to be involved with the enrichment, if he can help us get it,” Trump said, in what appeared to be a reference to the uranium stockpiles that the U.S. has been trying to get his hands on.
“I said, ‘I’d much rather have you be involved with ending the war with Ukraine,'” Trump said he told Putin.
Cybele Mayes-Osterman
Asked about the strike on a school in southern Iran on the first day of the war that killed at least 175 people, most of them children, Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth said “nobody on planet earth” tries as hard as the United States to minimize civilian casualties.
“There is nobody on planet earth that takes more measures to ensure that civilian harm, civilian casualties are minimized than the United States” and its military, Hegseth said.
Rep. Jill Tokuda, a Democrat from Hawaii, asked Hegseth about his dismantling last year of a Pentagon office dedicated to mitigating civilian harm. “Will these children not still be alive if you had not eliminated all of these staff?” Tokuda asked.
Hegseth denied that the positions were eliminated and said “those things that they normally accomplish are at the field level.”
Cybele Mayes-Osterman
Rep. Pat Ryan, a Democrat from New York, pressed Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth at a Wednesday, April 29, Congressional hearing on protections for U.S. service members stationed in Kuwait, where six soldiers were killed in an Iranian drone attack on the second day of the war.
Soldiers who survived the attack told CBS News earlier this month that Hegseth had falsely described the attack as caused by a “squirter” that broke through defenses and said they had insufficient defenses.
“Are you saying that these soldiers… who survived this horrific attack are lying?” Ryan asked.
“What I’m saying is, before the commencement of the conflict, we went in maximum defensive posture,” Hegseth responded.
Ryan shot back, quoting a soldier from the CBS report, that telling the truth is important. “Those soldiers are braver than you are. They are asking for accountability,” he said. “As I said a year ago, you need to resign.”
Francesca Chambers
Confronted by California Rep. Salud Carbajal about the estimated $25 billion cost of the war so far and how much more the U.S. plans to spend on the conflict in the future, Hegseth replied: “The question I would ask this committee is, what is it worth to ensure that Iran never gets a nuclear weapon?
Like many of the exchanges with Democrats during the hearing, the back and forth grew heated, as Carbajal cut Hegseth off in the middle of his answer.
Shifting topics to annual flu shots for servicemembers,Carbajal told him, “This is an easy one for you, this is a softball, don’t screw it up.” He told Hegseth at the end of their exchange that he’s “incompetent” and the gift that keeps on giving.
“Other than that, I’m doing great,” Hegseth fired back.
Cybele Mayes-Osterman
Rep. Ro Khanna, a Democrat from California, pressed Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth on the economic cost of the Iran war to American taxpayers.
“You’re saying that your operation is preventing a nuclear Iran. Will you acknowledge that there is an economic cost to the American people for doing what you believe is necessary?” Khanna asked.
Hegseth declined to provide a number, answering instead that “we have an incredible economic team” managing the cost of the war.
Khanna said the war will increase costs by $5,000 for American households. The Pentagon’s $25 billion estimate of the cost of the war was “totally off,” he said. “It’s the incompetence,” he added.
Hegseth retorted that the cost of gas in Khanna’s home state of California was twice as expensive due to “horrible policy.”
Khanna shot back: “You said wouldn’t get into bad wars. You said you would bring down the prices.”
“You know what? I’m sad for all the people who voted for Trump.”
Joey Garrison
President Donald Trump has rejected an offer from Iran that sought to end a United States naval blockade and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, according to a report from Axios.
Trump, in a phone interview with the publication, said he intends to maintain the blockade until Iran agrees to a deal that satisfies U.S. concerns about Iran’s nuclear capability. The proposal that Trump rejected sought to delay the nuclear talks until a later stage in negotiations.
The White House previously expressed skepticism about Iran’s offer. Last weekend, Trump canceled a second round of in-person negotiations in Pakistan. The president cited fractures in the Iranian government and said a proposal from the country didn’t meet U.S. expectations.
Pleased by the economic stranglehold the blockade has placed on Iran, Trump is now considering extending it months longer. He pitched the idea to energy executives at a White House meeting on Tuesday. And the president told Axios he views maintaining the blockade more effective than pursuing additional military action in Iran.
“The blockade is somewhat more effective than the bombing,” Trump said. “They are choking like a stuffed pig. And it is going to be worse for them. They can’t have a nuclear weapon.”
Christopher Cann
Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth stood by his previous pledge of “no quarter, no mercy” for Iran, which raised concerns over threats of possible war crimes.
At a briefing in March, Hegseth said there would no “no quarter” for U.S. adversaries amid the Iran war. The use of the term caused alarm as international humanitarian law explicitly forbids armed forces from denying enemy combatants to surrender and instead killing them.
When asked if he stands by the statement, Hegseth on Wednesday told member of Congress, “the Department of War fights to win, and we ensure that our war fighters have the rules of engagement necessary to be as effective as humanly possible.”
Joey Garrison
President Donald Trump discussed a potential months-long extension of the blockade of Iran during a Tuesday meeting with energy executives, according to a White House official.
Trump and the oil executives talked about steps that could be taken to alleviate global oil markets ‒ already disrupted by the blockade ‒ if the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz is extended for months longer, according to the White House official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent hosted the meeting, which was also attended by Vice President JD Vance and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles. Which oil executives in attendance were not immediately clear.
Trump posted a meme on social media Wednesday of himself holding a gun with the words “NO MORE MR. NICE GUY!” as he urged the Iranian regime to agree to a nuclear deal. Amid the United States blockade of Iran, gas prices in the United States this week reached its highest level in four years at $4.229 for a gallon of regular gasoline,according to AAA.
Cybele Mayes-Osterman
The war in Iran has cost around $25 billion to date, a Pentagon official told Congress at a budget hearing on April 29.Most of that has gone towards replenishing munitions, and some has gone toward operations and maintenance, and movement of equipment, said Jules Hurst III, the Pentagon’s comptroller.The Pentagon will also put together a supplemental request to Congress for more money to fund the war, Hurst said.“I’m glad you answered that question, because we’ve been asking it for a hell of a long time, and no one has given us the answer,” Rep. Adam Smith, the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, shot back.
Christopher Cann
Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth in his opening statement on Capitol Hill said the biggest challenge the U.S. faces in its war on Iran are the “defeatist words” of members of Congress.
“The biggest challenge, the biggest adversary we face at this point are the reckless, feckless and defeated words of congressional Democrats and some Republicans,” Hegseth said.
“Two months in on an existential fight for the safety of the American people. Iran cannot have a nuclear bomb,” he added. “We are proud of this undertaking. I am proud that President Trump has had the courage to do it, and I look forward to sharing more about what our troops have accomplished.”
Christopher Cann
House Armed Service Committee ranking member Adam Smith, D-Wash., admonished the Trump administration’s handling of the war on Iran, calling the current strategy “unrealistic” and saying the U.S. has not yet achieved any of the objectives laid out at the outset of the conflict.
“All we keep hearing is about all the targets we have struck,” Smith said in his opening statement at a committee hearing. “But we’re not in this for a tactical advantage, we’re in this to fundamentally change Iran. And as we sit here today Iran’s nuclear program is exactly what it was before this war started, they have not lost their capacity to inflict pain, they still have a ballistic missile program, they’re still able to blockade the Strait of Hormuz.”
“What is the plan to get that to change?” Smith said, adding that President Donald Trump “keeps telling us that it’s over.”
Andrea Riquier
The oil price surged to a 4-week high as the Strait of Hormuz remained blocked with no end in sight.
Brent crude, the global standard, was trading at $116, up 4% for the day, in the morning. Gas prices were also higher. One day after reaching a four-year high, AAA’s national tracker showed the average for a gallon of regular unleaded was $4.229.
Driving is becoming more expensive for Americans. An April 28 report in the Wall Street Journal noted that foreign carmakers have warned the White House that they might be forced to pull their cheapest car models out of the U.S. market. Those models, such as the Honda Civis and Toyota Corolla, use parts manufactured in Canada and Mexico, which the Trump administration has slapped with heavy tariffs.
Stocks were lower at the open on Wednesday, and bonds also sold off. The 10-year U.S. Treasury note was at 4.393%.
Christopher Cann
President Donald Trump on Tuesday met with leaders of Chevron and other energy companies at the White House, Reuters and Axios reported, as the war in Iran surges global energy prices.
Among those at the gathering to discuss global oil markets was Chevron CEO Mike Wirth, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Trump’s Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, the outlets reported.
High oil prices are a risk for Trump’s fellow Republicans ahead of the midterm congressional elections in November. On Tuesday, average U.S. gas prices reached their highest level since the early days of the Russia-Ukraine war in 2022.
Cybele Mayes-Osterman
Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth is expected to be grilled by lawmakers on the Iran war at a 10 a.m. House Armed Services Committee hearing.
The briefing is focused on the Pentagon’s request of $1.5 trillion for its budget next year, a 50% increase from this year.
Hegseth and Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who will also testify at the hearing, will also likely face questions about Iran’s control over the Strait of Hormuz, the U.S. effort to blockade all ships from Iranian ports, and war’s cost to taxpayers.
Lawmakers could also ask about a strike on an Iranian school on the first day of the war that killed at least 175 people, or reports that U.S. stockpiles of air defense interceptors and munitions are running low.
Francesca Chambers
Trump shared an AI image of himself in a black suit and sunglasses, holding an automatic weapon and standing in front bombed out wreckage, on his social media platform overnight.
The image was captioned: “NO MORE MR. NICE GUY.” In the accompanying social media post, that ended with the president’s initials, he said of talks to end the war, “Iran can’t get their act together. They don’t know how to sign a nonnuclear deal. They better get smart soon! President DJT”
Michael Loria
Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun slammed Israel in a statement Tuesday afternoon, accusing the country of targeting non-combatants after Israeli airstrikes killed three Lebanese emergency response workers.
“President Aoun considered this attack to be added to a series of attacks that targeted relief and first aid workers,” Aoun’s office said in a statement. The strike “indicates that Israel continues to violate international laws and conventions that protect civilians, paramedics, Civil Defense personnel, the Red Cross, and workers in the fields of rescue, first aid, and medicine.”
According to Aoun’s office, the three Civil Defense personnel were killed while attempting to carry out a search and rescue mission connected to a different Israeli attack in southern Lebanon. Aoun’s confirmation of their deaths comes after the agency earlier reported that the three were trapped beneath rubble.
USA TODAY has reached out to the State Department for comment.
Michael Loria
President Trump could soon face a hurdle to continuing the war on Iran.
According to the War Powers Resolution of 1973, the president has 60 days after beginning a military conflict before he would potentially need approval from Congress to continue fighting.
The countdown started when the president formally notified lawmakers March 2, meaning the deadline is Friday, May 1.
Further fighting after that date is expected to have Congress’ sign-off and a few Republicans have indicated they would not vote to continue fighting in Iran beyond that point. However, so far GOP lawmakers have shot down every Democratic effort to stop the war.
Trump could also give himself a 30-day extension to continue operations.