First 6 days of war cost US $11.3 billion, says Trump administration
3 min readUpdated: Mar 12, 2026 10:04 AM IST
The cost of the United States’s war with Iran in just six days is estimated to have been at least 11.3 billion USD, reported news agency Reuters. These estimates were shared in a closed briefing with Pentagon officials.
However, the estimate covers only the initial cost of the war excluding resources invested in personnel buildup and military hardware ahead of the strike, reported news website The New York Times.
March 12 marks the thirteenth day of war between the United States-Israel and Iran. The war began on February 28 with joint US and Israeli strikes on Iranian targets.
Cost of the war expected to go up, say officials
The actual cost of the war is expected to go up considerably as the Pentagon continues to calculate the cumulative expenses of the first week. As per a report by the New York Times and the Washington Post, the US military used 5.6 billion USD in the first two days of war. This is a much higher expenditure estimate than what was disclosed publicly.
The Center for Strategic and International Studies had estimated that the first 100 hours of the operation cost 3.7 billion USD, that is, 891.4 million USD per day, reports the New York Times.
The first wave of bombardment on Iran by the US used weapons including the AGM-154 glide bomb that can cost up to 8,36,000 USD. The US Navy had purchased 3,000 such bombs two decades ago.
Congress may have to approve additional funding for the war
It is expected that the members of the Congress may soon have to approve additional funding for the war. Some of the members have expressed concern that the conflict will deplete US military stocks at a time when the defence industry was already struggling to keep up with demand, reported Reuters.
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Trump met executives from seven defence contractors last week as the Pentagon worked to replenish supplies.
In a speech as he opened the US Senate on Tuesday, Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, the Democratic leader, called on administration officials to appear before Congress.
“When it comes to sending our servicemembers into harm’s way, the American people need to understand why. But right now, they don’t even have a ‘why.’ That needs to change,” Schumer said.
The strikes on Iran by the US and Israel began on February 28 and have killed around 2,000 people so far. Trump, on Tuesday, met executives from seven defense contractors last week as the Pentagon worked to replenish supplies, reported Reuters.
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