Iran shifted to missile deterrence strategy after strikes, US senator says

The cost of the Iran war to the United States may be significantly higher than official Pentagon figures, with internal estimates suggesting it could reach $40–50 billion, according to CNN.

The Pentagon on Wednesday publicly put the cost of the conflict at around $25 billion, but sources cited by CNN said the figure does not include extensive damage to US military installations in the region or the cost of rebuilding them.

Individuals familiar with the matter said the higher estimate factors in reconstruction of bases and replacement of destroyed military assets following Iranian strikes across several Persian Gulf states in the early stages of the war.

The report said US facilities in Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar were among those damaged, with key radar systems and other equipment also reportedly hit.

Pentagon officials told Congress the $25 billion figure largely reflects munitions spending, while acknowledging that a full accounting of overseas damage has not yet been completed.

Skydio announced on Wednesday a $3.5 billion investment to expand its US manufacturing footprint and accelerate its research and development capabilities.

The announcement was shared by the White House on X, saying the move would boost American drone production and strengthen domestic technological capacity.

The company said the investment is aimed at scaling production and advancing the development of its autonomous drone systems.

Iran’s Speaker of Parliament Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf dismissed US efforts about the effectiveness of pressure on Iran’s oil sector, making sarcastic remarks directed at Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and saying the impact of a blockade been overestimated.

"3 days in, no well exploded.We could extend to 30 and livestream the well here. That was the kind of junk advice the US admin gets from people like Bessent who also push the blockade theory and cranked oil up to $120+. Next stop:140. The issue isn't the theory, it's the mindset," Ghalibaf posted on X.

The United States is seeking to deploy its hypersonic missile system to the Middle East for possible use against Iran, in what would mark the weapon’s first operational deployment, according to a report by Bloomberg published on Wednesday.

US Central Command requested the transfer of the Army’s long-delayed “Dark Eagle” system to the region, aiming to give US forces the ability to strike ballistic missile launchers deep inside Iran, the report said.

If approved, it would be the first time the United States deploys a hypersonic weapon system, which has faced years of delays and has not yet been declared fully operational, even as Russia and China have already fielded their own versions.

US President Donald Trump’s approach of sustained pressure on Iran’s oil sector could inflict significant economic damage and potentially force concessions, but the assumption that it would quickly produce political change is “appealingly simple, yet dangerously incomplete,” according to an analysis by former Iran hostage Siamak Namazi.

"The Islamic Republic may indeed be under growing oil pressure. But the better frame is not a neat countdown. It is a regional logistics crisis colliding with a regime that has its own decision-making logic," Said Namazi, who was held in Iran from 2015 to 2023 in an analysis for Middle East Institute, published on Wednesday.

Namazi warned against “countdown” narratives suggesting a fixed timeline for Iranian capitulation, arguing that the impact of pressure would be uneven and dependent on infrastructure, field conditions and regime decision-making.