US President Trump says Iran conflict will end when he decides as cost estimate rises to $47 billion

President Donald Trump told a rally in Texas that the war in Iran could be concluded "whenever I want it to be over," adding that the United States must ensure Tehran never acquires a nuclear weapon. The remarks came as The Hill reported a rise in the federal government’s official cost estimate for the conflict, now at $47 billion, up $3 billion from the previous month.

According to a U.S. Central Command estimate obtained by the outlet, $29 billion of the total is allocated for munition replacement, nearly $12 billion for incremental military action costs, $6.1 billion for equipment loss replacements, and $7.6 billion for Air Force support services such as airlift, base operations, communications, and transportation. The estimate does not factor in damage to U.S. bases in the Middle East.

Analysts note that broader calculations could push the total higher. Stephen Semler, a senior fellow at the Center for International Policy, estimated in July that U.S. spending exceeded $103 billion in the first four months of the war. A tracker from the Watson School of International and Public Affairs at Brown University reported that U.S. consumers have paid an additional $146 billion for gasoline and diesel since the conflict began in February.

The Wall Street Journal cited unnamed sources saying the United States has advised several Gulf Arab states to prepare for a short, intense military campaign after the midterm elections. The report added that U.S. forces are restocking munitions and that bomber aircraft, jet fighters, an additional aircraft carrier strike group, and a Marine expeditionary unit are poised to join an existing fleet of roughly 20 warships operating in the region next month.