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Pentagon Inspector General Tallies $33.4B War Cost

By Drooid · Sep 15, 2026, 2:45 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

The Pentagon inspector-general released the first comprehensive accounting of the war’s $33.4 billion cost.
The report estimates $184 million in damage to U.S. diplomatic facilities in Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
Aircraft losses include one F-35A, four F-15Es, an A-10, twelve KC-135 refuelers and over 30 MQ-9 drones.
The conflict displaced 20,000 U.S. personnel and prompted evacuation of about 9,000 U.S. citizens at a cost exceeding $11 million.

History

Historical Context

After Iraq invaded Kuwait in August 1990, the UN adopted Resolution 678 (29 Nov 1990) authorizing a U.S.-led coalition to use force. The coalition began Operation Desert Storm on 17 Jan 1991, conducting over 100,000 sorties and spending about $61 billion to liberate Kuwait. Today’s Pentagon inspector-general report, noting $33.4 billion in recent war costs, revives those historic financial concerns.

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Story summary

The Pentagon inspector-general released the first comprehensive accounting of the war’s $33.4 billion cost.
The report estimates $184 million in damage to U.S. diplomatic facilities in Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
Aircraft losses include one F-35A, four F-15Es, an A-10, twelve KC-135 refuelers and over 30 MQ-9 drones.
The conflict displaced 20,000 U.S. personnel and prompted evacuation of about 9,000 U.S. citizens at a cost exceeding $11 million.

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