24 DAILY NEWS – Despite a ceasefire that has been in effect for over a month, the financial burden of the U.S. conflict with Iran continues to escalate, according to a senior Pentagon official on Tuesday.
### Rising Costs
Two weeks ago, the Pentagon estimated the war’s cost at $25 billion, a figure analysts consider a significant undercount. In testimony before the House Appropriations defense subcommittee, Jay Hurst, the Department of War’s comptroller, indicated the cost has now approached $29 billion, driven by “repair and replacement of equipment” and general operational expenses associated with maintaining troops in the Middle East.
Experts have raised doubts about this updated estimate. Gabe Murphy, a policy analyst at Taxpayers for Common Sense, criticized the Pentagon for a lack of transparency. “The costs of this war are still growing, and the Pentagon is still not being straight with taxpayers or lawmakers about the numbers. If the numbers being thrown around in committee hearings were complete, why would
