Iran conflict costs up to Rp800 trillion as Pentagon faces funding crunch

WASHINGTON - Pentagon faces serious budget pressures amid prolonged military operations against Iran, disrupting routine activities such as training and maintenance of major weapon systems. US military officials are urgently urging Congress to approve additional defence funding to prevent further operational impacts. US Navy Chief Admiral Daryl Caudle stated that the 2026 Navy budget does not include costs for Operation Epic Fury, the military operation under former President Donald Trump related to the Iran conflict. As a result, the Navy must reduce routine activities including military exercises, flight training hours, and new recruit training. The US Army is also facing budget pressures. The Texas-based Third Armored Corps, overseeing around 70,000 troops and hundreds of tanks, saw a $292 million (Rp5.2 trillion at a rate of Rp17,800 per US dollar) cut in training funds by late April. Additionally, US military medical education institutions have cancelled dozens of courses and halted centralised funding for other training programmes. The Pentagon declined to comment on the report. In the US military budget system, each expenditure category has specific allocations and cannot be reallocated without Congressional approval. Military training costs typically come from the Operations and Maintenance (O&M) account. Todd Harrison, a defence budget expert from the American Enterprise Institute, explained that the O&M account covers various needs, including training, troop deployment, fuel, official travel, equipment repairs, and civilian Pentagon staff salaries. Harrison added that the Pentagon is likely cutting non-essential travel and scaling back some military exercises to save costs. At the start of the Iran conflict, the Trump administration discussed up to $200 billion (Rp3.56 trillion) in additional military funding. However, the government later deemed this figure too high and has not provided official details on additional funding needs. Meanwhile, the Pentagon estimates current conflict costs at around $29 billion (Rp516.2 trillion). Acting Pentagon Comptroller Jules Hurst III stated that this estimate only covers ammunition and destroyed aircraft, not the costs of rebuilding military bases. CNN sources suggest the actual total war cost could reach $40 billion to $50 billion (Rp712 trillion to Rp890 trillion).