A senior official from the Army Department revealed during a House Armed Services Committee hearing that the ongoing war in Iran has cost the United States roughly $25 billion. Jules W. Hearst III, who serves as the Under Secretary and Chief Financial Officer of the Department of the Army, made this statement, noting that the funds could potentially cover the cost of more than 1,000 miles of the wall planned for the U.S.-Mexico border, according to calculations from the U.S. General Accounting Office.
“Currently, we’re looking at about $25 billion for Operation Epic Fury,” Hearst mentioned. He explained that a significant portion of this budget is allocated for munitions, and some of it is also used for replenishing ammunition and equipment. Hearst added that once a full evaluation of the conflict’s expenses is complete, additional proposals would likely be submitted to Congress via the White House.
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection has estimated that it would take approximately $18 billion to construct barriers in the Border Patrol’s top 17 priority areas, which covers about 1,122 miles. However, it’s important to highlight that these figures are average costs and not reflective of individual project expenses. The actual expenses involved in building the wall can vary significantly.
No response was received from the White House regarding these matters.
As for the allocation of the $25 billion, it’s equivalent to funding around 1,002 miles of border wall construction based on the average cost of about $24.9 million per mile. Since January 20, 2025, U.S. Customs and Border Protection has reported constructing approximately 40 kilometers of new border barriers, although the precise number of total miles completed remains unclear.
The total length of the southwest border with Mexico stands at approximately 1,954 miles. Notably, the substantial financial expenditure on the Iran war and the incomplete border wall seem to contradict two major campaign commitments made by President Donald Trump.
Trump assured his supporters on election night that he would avoid initiating any wars, stating, “I’m not going to start a war.” Furthermore, he emphasized plans to address illegal immigration by fully closing the border and completing the wall, commitments he made during the Republican National Convention.
The Department of the Army is requesting about $1.5 trillion in budget resources for FY2027, which represents a significant 44% increase compared to previous years. This budget request includes $1.1 trillion in basic discretionary authority and an additional $350 billion in mandatory funding.
Operation Epic Fury has been estimated to have averaged about $409 million in costs per day over the last 61 days, which aligns with the previously mentioned figure of $25 billion. The Rules Committee Print indicated that constructing the border barrier would require $46.5 billion, with more than half of the Iran war expenditure potentially covering that cost.
In the years spanning from 2017 to January 2021, federal agencies managed to put up around 450 miles of barriers along the southern U.S. border, often bypassing federal environmental regulations to expedite construction.
Trump previously indicated that a victory in the upcoming elections would bring an end to years of conflict and instability.
