Iran war's cost to American taxpayers grows to an estimated $47.1 billion

WASHINGTON (AP) — The cost of the Iran war to American taxpayers has grown to $47.1 billion, according to a new estimate the Pentagon has provided to Congress. The fallout from the conflict has become a key issue in the midterm elections and could increase as President Donald Trump leaves open the possibility of renewed hostilities.

The figure from U.S. Central Command, which oversees operations in the Middle East, is as of Oct. 16 and offers the most up-to-date cost for the conflict since it was launched in late February by the United States and Israel. The latest price tag, obtained by The Associated Press this week, shows a $3.5 billion bump in U.S. spending since early September, when that figure stood at about $43.6 billion.

The growing cost of the unpopular war and its economic ripple effects on energy prices could hurt Republicans in next week's midterm elections. Voters on Tuesday will decide which political party controls Congress during Trump's last two years in office.

The Republican president has said new strikes on Iran are an option after the midterms and is sending more military resources to the Middle East, despite initially promising Americans a military campaign that would last only a matter of weeks. As the war’s costs in lives, tax dollars and economic impact grow, most voters say they want Congress to prioritize ending the conflict, according to a recent AP-NORC poll.

The expense of the conflict and military spending in general are already a contentious issue on Capitol Hill, where the Trump administration is pushing for the passage of a historic $1.5 trillion military budget proposal. The White House also is asking lawmakers to approve a $95 billion package that would help fund the Iran war and other priorities.

Wednesday marks eight months of the war, which Democrats have been trying to end through legislation that has failed to pass the Republican-controlled Congress.

“Trump and his ego led us into this war with no plan, no authority, and no exit strategy," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York said in a news release. "Senate Democrats will continue to do everything in our power to end this disaster of a war and stop the costs, chaos, and corruption seeping from the White House.”

In the latest estimate, the bulk of the war's costs are for replacing munitions, at about $29 billion. The advanced weapons most in demand and whose stockpiles have been drawn down are defensive missile interceptors, such as those launched by the Army’s Patriot and THAAD systems, with a single Patriot interceptor costing millions of dollars.

The Pentagon says about $11.9 billion is related to costs of operations, while an additional $6 billion is tied to equipment losses. The Air Force's costs are now $7.6 billion, and the Army's are more than $2 billion. The Navy's costs were listed at $1.45 billion, which is a significant drop from the $2.2 billion listed in early September.

When asked why the Navy’s cost estimates decreased over the roughly six-week period, both the Navy and U.S. Central Command referred the questions to the Pentagon, which did not immediately respond to emails requesting comment on the new cost estimates.

The latest estimate does not include damage to U.S. bases in the Middle East, which the Islamic Republic has attacked with ballistic missiles and drones. A report from the Pentagon inspector general released last month said Iranian strikes have damaged and destroyed hundreds of buildings and other structures at U.S. bases in Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Oman and Jordan.

The Pentagon’s official tally lists 21 service members killed and 865 wounded in the conflict. That count includes troops who died in medical events and other situations that do not have a direct connection to the conflict, with 18 service members having been killed from Iranian strikes, combat aircraft crashes or disposal of Iranian drones.

While Trump has mused repeatedly about whether to make a deal with Iran or “finish them off,” a third aircraft carrier and thousands of additional troops are making their way to the region. The Trump administration also has reduced staffing at some U.S. Embassies after receiving intelligence that Iran has stepped up efforts to target American personnel.

Follow the AP's coverage of the Iran war at https://apnews.com/hub/iran.

A school sports hall that Iranian authorities said was damaged when a nearby building was hit on March 28, 2026, is seen in Khomein, southwest of Tehran, Iran, Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

President Donald Trump listens as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks at a roundtable event in the East Room of the White House, Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A man who played a major role in defrauding a federal food program in Minnesota was sentenced Wednesday to 30 years in prison, the latest punishment in a sprawling scheme to collect millions of dollars during the COVID-19 pandemic by claiming to have fed needy children.

The depth of fraud in Minnesota — dozens of people have been convicted — has repeatedly drawn the attention of President Donald Trump, who ridiculed the Democratic governor for failing to stop it and partly cited it as grounds for an extraordinary immigration crackdown in the state's largest cities.

Salim Said operated Safari Restaurant in Minneapolis, which specialized in dishes from Somalia. He was accused of vastly overstating the number of meals when seeking payment for providing food. The government said he was responsible for $44 million in fraud, some of which was committed by others he recruited.

“You took more than taxpayers' dollars to enrich yourself. You took the reputation of our state down with you,” U.S. District Judge Nancy Brasel said.

Said was claiming a “ridiculous daily distribution of 6,000 meals” while FBI cameras showed 40 people a day collecting food, prosecutors said in a court filing.

“The defendant and his sites did not serve thousands of children; he served a calculated, lucrative lie,” prosecutors said.

Said, a native of Somalia, denied the allegations while testifying at the trial in 2025, saying many meals were delivered off site. But at his sentencing Wednesday, he changed course and expressed remorse. Defense attorney Barry Zone, who had asked for a 12-year prison sentence, disputed that Said was the “architect” as the government alleged.

COVID-19 brought changes to a federal program that typically fed children through schools. Restaurants could participate, and food distribution was extended to places outside schools.

“For 21 consecutive months, Said made thousands of fraudulent reimbursement claims, day after day, month after month,” prosecutors said. “Each submission represented meals purportedly provided to underprivileged children, yet the listed children themselves were entirely fictitious.”

The government said Said hit the jackpot: He bought a $1.2 million home, commercial real estate and an $87,000 pickup truck.

Said was convicted of a raft of charges in 2025, along with Aimee Bock, the leader of a Minnesota nonprofit, Feeding Our Future. She is serving a 42-year prison sentence for devising the overall plan to recruit Said and others to join the federal food program during the pandemic. A judge ordered her to repay $242 million.

State auditors found that the Minnesota Department of Education received numerous complaints about Feeding Our Future, but often told the group to police itself. In January, Gov. Tim Walz said he would not run for reelection after being pounded by Trump about theft in programs that rely on federal cash.

Supporters of Salim Said, who was found guilty in the Feeding Our Future fraud scheme, leave after Said's sentencing hearing, Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Ellen Schmidt)