The U.S. Congressional Budget Office (CBO) says the war involving Iran has cost the Pentagon about $38 billion and has sharply reduced parts of the U.S. missile defense inventory. The CBO report indicates that spending and operational demands associated with the conflict have continued to affect readiness.
In addition to overall cost, the CBO warns that missile defense capabilities have been “gutted” by the drawdown of interceptors. According to the CBO estimate, the U.S. likely uses roughly half to two-thirds of its missile defense interceptors since June 2025, reducing stock levels and potentially increasing reliance on replenishment.
CNBC and Quartz both report these findings from the nonpartisan budget office, with emphasis on the fiscal impact in one case and on the scale of interceptor depletion in the other. Both outlets frame the CBO’s figures as implications for future missile defense readiness and budget planning, rather than attributing the damage to any single program.
Overall, the outlets agree on the CBO’s headline numbers—$38 billion in costs and significant interceptor drawdown since mid-2025—while differing mainly in which aspect they foreground.
