The US spent over $11.3 billion in the first six days of its war with Iran, a figure that excludes pre-strike buildup costs and is expected to rise substantially.
WASHINGTON: The opening week of the United States’ war against Iran cost more than USD 11.3 billion, according to a Pentagon briefing for lawmakers reported by The New York Times.
This staggering figure, which underscores the rapid consumption of weapons and resources, excludes many costs connected with the military buildup prior to the strikes, suggesting the final tally for the first week could rise substantially.
Defense officials had previously told Congress that roughly USD 5.6 billion worth of munitions were expended in just the first two days of fighting, a burn rate far higher than earlier public estimates.
An independent estimate from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) think tank calculated that the first 100 hours of Operation Epic Fury cost USD 3.7 billion, or more than USD 891 million per day.
The CSIS noted that most of these costs, amounting to USD 3.5 billion, had not already been budgeted for by the Pentagon.
Meanwhile, the Iran War Cost Tracker website, which provides real-time estimates, showed a figure of more than USD 17 billion on its counter on Thursday.
According to the site, the United States is currently spending approximately USD 1 billion per day on the conflict.
The tracker also points out that the true long-term cost of the war is likely significantly higher, as such figures do not account for future expenses like veteran healthcare.