The U.S. Department of Defense, commonly known as the Pentagon, has estimated the total cost of military reinforcements deployed by Washington in the Middle East since October 7 at $1.6 billion. This figure was reported by Politico, citing two American officials, and relayed by the Al Sharq news channel. The Pentagon has presented these estimates to congressional committees in response to inquiries.
The $1.6 billion cost includes the deployment of warships, fighter jets, and additional equipment in the Middle East over the past four months. It was noted, however, that this figure does not encompass the cost of missiles used by the U.S. military to strike Houthi sites in Yemen or to intercept drones and missiles in the Red Sea, as there is not enough data yet to calculate these costs.
If these operations continue for a full year, the total military bill could rise to $2.2 billion, according to estimates. Since October 7, the Pentagon has ordered the deployment of an additional aircraft carrier, amphibious ships carrying Marine Corps elements, fighter jets, air defenses, and hundreds of soldiers to the Middle East. Initially, these forces were tasked with preventing additional parties from getting involved in the conflict, and more recently, they have been protecting ships in the Red Sea from Houthi attacks.
The breakdown of the total amount includes $29.2 million for military personnel, $708.6 million for operations and maintenance, $528.4 million for supplies, $51.9 million for research, development, testing, and evaluation, and $248.5 million for transportation.
The U.S. Department of Defense anticipates that the cost of maintaining these operations for a full year will reach $2.2 billion. American lawmakers have not agreed on a full-year spending bill for the Department of Defense, leaving the military without the necessary funds to cover the costs of these unplanned operations, as reported by Politico. One official stated, “This will create a gap that we want to fill. It’s a bill that will be due, and we will have to pay it with a limited amount of resources.”
Lawmakers are aware of the unplanned costs and are considering how to cover them. Options include adding them to the annual spending bill or incorporating them into the additional amount allocated for military aid to Ukraine and Israel, which amounts to $111 billion, or paying the amount through a separate appendix for war costs.