The United States has spent more than $11.3 billion in the first six days of its war against Iran, according to a report by The New York Times citing details from a closed-door Pentagon briefing to lawmakers.
Sources familiar with the briefing told the newspaper that the figure covers the early phase of the conflict but does not include several expenses related to the military buildup before the strikes began, suggesting the total cost for the first week could rise significantly.
Defence officials had earlier informed members of the United States Congress that about $5.6 billion worth of munitions were used within the first two days of fighting — a rate of spending far higher than earlier public estimates.
Meanwhile, the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a Washington-based think tank, estimated that the first 100 hours of Operation Epic Fury cost about $3.7 billion, averaging more than $891 million per day.
According to CSIS, about $3.5 billion of those costs were not previously budgeted.
The Iran War Cost Tracker, which monitors the conflict’s financial impact in real time, estimated the total cost of the war at over $17 billion as of 08:00 GMT on Thursday.
The site also estimated that the United States is currently spending about $1 billion per day on the war.
However, analysts note that the actual cost of the conflict is likely much higher, as the estimates do not account for long-term expenses such as veteran healthcare and other post-war obligations.
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