U.S. intelligence officials estimate the Pentagon’s total military costs for Operation Epic Fury, the renewed conflict with Iran under President Donald Trump, could exceed $100 billion, according to two people familiar with the matter. Officials reportedly placed the cost between $50 billion and $100 billion by the end of May, while confidential congressional estimates put spending to date at about $80 billion.
The Trump administration has not publicly released a full cost estimate. In June, the White House requested $88 billion to cover some war-related expenses, but sources said that figure may not include all costs. One unresolved issue is whether the Pentagon will replace aircraft destroyed or damaged beyond repair. If officials decide against replacing certain aircraft, those costs may not be included in future funding requests.
A May report from the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service, based on public reporting, said the U.S. had lost at least 17 manned aircraft and 25 drones since the conflict began. The losses included an MQ-4C Triton surveillance drone, which costs more than $600 million per aircraft. Repairing U.S. bases damaged by Iranian missile and drone attacks could add further costs, though officials have reportedly told lawmakers that repairs may not be counted if some bases are eventually closed.
The only public cost figure from a senior defense official came in May, when acting Pentagon comptroller Jay Hurst testified that the war had cost roughly $29 billion, mainly for munitions, fuel, and carrier operations. He declined to provide an updated figure this week.
Separately, the Trump administration launched “Gold Eagle,” a new cybersecurity clearinghouse run by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. The program will use nonpublic AI models to identify software vulnerabilities before they can be exploited. It is the first major implementation of Trump’s June executive order on advanced AI risks, with further classified testing standards expected in the coming months.