US Spends $11bn On Iran War In 6 Days – Report

The United States spent more than $11.3 billion in the opening week of its war against Iran, lawmakers were told during a Pentagon briefing, according to a report by The New York Times that highlights the rapid pace at which the conflict is consuming American military resources.

The newspaper, citing unnamed sources familiar with Tuesday’s closed-door briefing, said members of the US Congress were informed that the figure does not include several costs related to the buildup before the strikes began suggesting the overall expenditure for the first week could rise significantly.

Defence officials had earlier told Congress that roughly $5.6 billion worth of munitions were used within the first two days of fighting alone, according to US media reports, a burn rate far higher than previously disclosed public estimates.

Meanwhile, the Washington-based think tank, Center for Strategic and International Studies, estimated that the first 100 hours of Operation Epic Fury cost about $3.7 billion, translating to more than $891 million per day.

According to the CSIS assessment, about $3.5 billion of the spending had not been previously budgeted.

Real-time estimates by the Iran War Cost Tracker website place the cost of the conflict even higher. As of around 08:00 GMT on Thursday, the platform showed the total US spending on the war had already surpassed $17 billion.

The tracker also estimated that Washington is currently spending roughly $1 billion daily on the war effort.

However, the website noted that the real financial burden of the conflict is likely to be significantly higher because the calculations do not include long-term expenses, including healthcare and benefits for military veterans.