The Trump administration’s ongoing war in Iran has been costly both in terms of dollars spent and munitions expended by the Pentagon. How much the war has cost this far has been declared by the White House — but also hotly disputed by outside analyses.
Earlier last month, American Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth testified before lawmakers, explaining to the Senate Appropriations Committee that the costs associated with the war in Iran have totaled nearly $38 billion, a figure that has been disputed by other sources as an undercount of the war’s costs.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth hosts a teleconference with NFL players Aaron Jones and Elijah Higgins during their visit to the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing in Kuwait from the Pentagon, Washington, D.C., April 2, 2025. (DoD photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Alexander Kubitza)
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth boards the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser, USS Chosin (CG 65), Panama, April 9, 2025. U.S. Southern Command and the Panamanian security forces collaborate to ensure and maintain regional stability during natural disasters, medical catastrophes or regional conflicts. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Van Hoang)
But as the war rolls into its sixth month, politicians from the president’s own Republican party have expressed only tepid support for the administration’s request for extra funding. Caught between the president’s ask for more money and the war’s unpopularity, many lawmakers have demurred.
Although the cost of oil per barrel is nowhere near as high as it was after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, when oil rose to $125 per barrel, nor as high as the all-time record during the Great Recession in 2008 when oil reached dizzying $145 heights, the price of oil is nonetheless elevated at about $84 per barrel — costs that are ultimately passed on to the end consumer at the pump.
Seemingly frustrated by the lack of a quick resolution to the conflict, American President Donald Trump has repeatedly expressed deep frustration with Iran, perhaps indicative of what was expected to be a rapid and conclusive conclusion to the war.
Last Chance?
Taking to social media, President Trump called Iran’s leadership “unbelievably duplicitous” in a post to Truth Social on Monday after Tehran denied talks were ongoing with Washington. “They ask for a meeting; some would say “beg,” talks begin, with more scheduled in the immediate future, and they say, openly and proudly, that they’re not having any discussions, that nothing is being talked about, and they’re only dealing with “Oman.””
“It is very simple,” the president added. “IRAN WILL NEVER HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON!”
Citing his inability to run for reelection again, the president said that time was not an issue in the negotiations, which may or may not be underway. But the president added, Tehran was facing its “last chance” and that if a deal was not struck, the country’s leadership would face “decapitation.”
A Potential Land Invasion
According to recent reporting, Riyadh may be preparing a military offensive against the Houthis in Yemen by sea, and potentially also by land, The Guardian reports.
Though the Houthis and Riyadh had been locked in a long, grinding fight over the future of Yemen, a UN-brokered ceasefire had largely paused the conflict, which the Saudis had prosecuted mostly from the air. Despite nearly eight years of fighting, the Saudi air offensive had failed to dislodge the Houthis from Yemen. But a new chapter in that part of what has become an expanding conflict may be opening.
Late last week, Saudi Arabia unveiled a coalition plan that will bring together 14 countries to protect international maritime shipping in the Gulf of Aden and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The group would, Riyadh explained, break the Houthi blockade and ensure freedom of navigation in those international waters. Djibouti, Egypt, Pakistan, Sudan, and Turkey pledged to join, though notably Oman and the United Arab Emirates were not listed as signatories to the document.
Houthi Blockade
While the Houthis have until recently declined to join the war in Iran in support of their backers in Tehran, the Yemeni rebel Islamist group vying for control of Yemen recently declared a blockade of Saudi oil tankers passing through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which abuts Yemen’s southwest coast.
It is unclear, however, how effective that blockade has been. On Monday, Reuters reported that a pair of tanker ships laden with Saudi oil managed to transit the strait despite the Houthis’ blockade. Those ships reportedly had their Automatic Identification System (AIS) transponders switched off, which may have helped them cloak their outward journey.
Still, those tankers may have been exceptional in their transit: reports from Tuesday morning explained that six Saudi-flagged oil tankers adjusted their course while in the Gulf of Aden, opting to sail around the Cape of Good Hope, Africa’s southernmost point, rather than attempting a run through Bab el-Mandeb.
About the Author: Caleb Larson
Caleb Larson is an American multi-format journalist based in Berlin, Germany. His work covers the intersection of conflict and society, focusing on American foreign policy and European security. He has reported from Germany, Russia, and the United States. Most recently, he covered the war in Ukraine, reporting extensively on the war’s shifting battle lines from Donbas and writing on the war’s civilian and humanitarian toll. Previously, he worked as a Defense Reporter for POLITICO Europe. You can follow his latest work on X.
