Washington DC - The war against Iran has cost the US military $25 billion since it was launched in late February, a senior Pentagon official said on Wednesday.

"We're spending about $25 billion on Operation Epic Fury. Most of that is in munitions," acting Pentagon comptroller Jules Hurst told lawmakers, using the official name for the US operation.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth later told the same congressional hearing that the estimated figure was less than $25 billion at this point.

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The Pentagon chief pushed back against questions about the war's cost, saying: "The question I would ask this committee is, what is it worth to ensure that Iran never gets a nuclear weapon?"

The US and Israel launched a massive air campaign against Iran's military and leadership on February 28, killing Tehran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

President Donald Trump has indefinitely extended what was initially a two-week ceasefire that brought a halt to the fighting, but the conflict – and its widespread economic fallout – still remains unresolved.