Donald Trump just admitted on camera that the U.S. has no idea where its own weapons ended up after sending them to arm Iranian protesters

President Donald Trump admitted on camera that the U.S. has no idea where its own weapons ended up after they were sent to arm Iranian protesters. The admission came as the cost of the war in Iran continues to grow, with estimates suggesting it could reach $40–50 billion.

During a press conference, Trump spoke about Kurdish groups and expressed frustration over the failed attempt to spark an uprising in Iran. In a striking moment, he revealed that the location of U.S. military weapons is still unknown. “A small amount of weapons were sent, and we’ll see who has them,” Trump said, leaving serious questions about what happened to the equipment.

The U.S. military has lost billions of dollars worth of high-tech equipment since Trump launched the war on Iran. Some of this includes an F-35A Lightning II stealth fighter, which Iran claims to have shot down, and a dozen MQ-9 Reaper drones, each costing around $30 million. According to The Daily Beast, a top Pentagon official has estimated the total cost of the war could reach $25 billion by the end of the conflict, though other estimates put the figure even higher.

The U.S. losing track of its own weapons points to a deeper accountability problem in the Iran conflict

The fact that the U.S. has lost track of its own weapons shows the level of disorder that has marked the war in Iran. Despite advanced military technology, the country’s ability to monitor its own equipment appears to have been badly compromised. The massive sums of money being spent on this conflict make this lack of accountability even more alarming for lawmakers and the public alike.

Trump’s comments also come as the U.S. Treasury issued a warning that any individual or company that pays Iran a “toll” for passage through the Strait of Hormuz risks violating U.S. sanctions. The key shipping channel has been closed to most ships for weeks, causing significant economic disruption around the world. This is not the only area where Trump’s recent public appearances have raised concerns.

The war in Iran has been controversial from the start, with many questioning whether it is legal under the War Powers Resolution. According to the BBC, the resolution, passed in 1973, requires a president to end the use of U.S. armed forces unless Congress makes a formal declaration of war or grants an extension. Trump has argued that the deadline to seek legislative approval has been paused, citing the ongoing ceasefire with Iran.

Many legal experts and lawmakers have found this argument hard to accept. Experts have pushed back strongly on this view. Professor Heather Brandon-Smith from Georgetown University Law suggested that a ceasefire does not permanently end the conflict.

“To my mind, a permanent end to the conflict is what would actually sort of close up the 60 days,” she said. She added that only the courts or Congress could stop the war if the Trump administration decides to continue it, meaning the legal battle over the conflict may be far from over.

The broader picture is one of a conflict that has raised serious concerns on multiple fronts, military, legal, and financial. Billions of dollars have been spent, weapons have gone missing, and key legal questions remain unanswered.

With the cost of the war still rising and the fate of U.S. weapons still unknown, serious questions remain about accountability and oversight in this conflict. Meanwhile, on a separate legal front, the Supreme Court’s ruling against Trump’s tariff policies has added further pressure on the administration, suggesting that legal challenges to Trump’s decisions are growing on several fronts at once.