[U.S. Department of Defense: Cost of Iran War Rises to $29 Billion, Some Estimates Suggest Actual Cost May Approach $200 Billion] Reported by Golden Finance, on May 12, U.S. Department of Defense officials stated that the cost of the conflict between the U.S. and Iran has increased by an additional $4 billion compared to two weeks ago, bringing the total to approximately $29 billion. U.S. Department of Defense Inspector General Jay Hurst said during a congressional hearing on Tuesday local time that the cost increase is primarily due to 'updates in equipment repair and replacement expenses, as well as overall operational spending growth.' Previously, Hurst had informed Congress in late April that the total cost of the war was approximately $25 billion. The report noted that while the Pentagon's current public estimate stands at $29 billion, some external institutions believe that if long-term military deployments, energy market impacts, and macroeconomic effects are factored in, the overall economic cost of this round of conflict could approach $200 billion.