![A view of heavy structural damage at a destroyed residential building in Qeshm Island, Hormozgan Province, Iran, on September 11, 2026. [Fatemeh Bahrami - Anadolu Agency]](https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/AA-20260915-42474558-42474556-USISRAELI_AIR_STRIKES_HIT_FISHING_PIER_AND_RESIDENTIAL_HOME_IN_IRANS_QESHM_ISLAND.jpg)
On September 15, the Congressional Budget Office estimated that the conflict with Iran had cost the Department of Defense about $38 billion as of August 1. The report also traced consequences beyond military operations, including depleted missile-defense stocks and higher energy prices. As the 2026 midterms approach, it documents how a war overseas has become part of domestic economic life. The midterms are not a formal referendum on the war. Americans will be choosing lawmakers rather than voting directly on continued military involvement. Yet the conflict is already before Congress, and its domestic costs are becoming clearer through federal estimates and reports from businesses affected by higher fuel prices. The $38 billion estimate includes replacing expended munitions and equipment lost […]
