US Military Engagement with Iran Costs Over $11 Billion in One Week

The first week of military operations between the United States and Iran has incurred costs of over $11.3 billion, according to information disclosed to lawmakers by the United States Department of Defense.

This cost assessment was provided during a private briefing at the Pentagon, later reported by The New York Times, which referenced sources familiar with the discussions.

The reported figure of $11.3 billion excludes numerous expenses linked to the military buildup that preceded the airstrikes, indicating that the actual financial outlay for the initial week of warfare could be significantly greater.

Prior briefings to members of Congress indicated that approximately $5.6 billion of munitions were deployed within the first two days of combat, demonstrating a more rapid rate of expenditure than was first anticipated.

Analysts from the Center for Strategic and International Studies estimated that the initial 100 hours of Operation Epic Fury—the designation for the U.S. military offensive—cost around $3.7 billion, averaging over $891 million daily.

The think tank also noted that roughly $3.5 billion of these costs had not been reflected in the existing United States defense budget, emphasizing the financial pressure caused by the swift pace of the military campaign.

Meanwhile, the online monitoring platform Iran War Cost Tracker reported that the overall cost of the war had surpassed $17 billion by approximately 08:00 GMT on Thursday, March 11. The platform further estimates that the U.S. is currently expending about $1 billion daily on the conflict.

However, experts warn that the actual financial impact of the war may be much larger, as current estimates do not account for long-term expenses such as health care for veterans, the replacement of military equipment, and future operational costs associated with the conflict.