Quick overview

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The war involving the United States and Iran cost more than $11.3 billion in its first six days, according to officials from the United States Department of Defense, commonly known as the Pentagon.

Sources close to United States Congress said the estimate was shared with lawmakers during a closed-door briefing at the United States Capitol on Tuesday. Three people familiar with the meeting confirmed the figure.

However, the estimate does not include several operational costs, such as the buildup of military equipment and personnel before the first strikes. Lawmakers therefore expect the total cost to rise significantly as the conflict continues.

Other estimates of the war’s cost

While the Pentagon’s figure is considered the most official estimate so far, other institutions have produced their own calculations.

The Center for Strategic and International Studies estimated that the first 100 hours of the operation cost about $3.7 billion, or roughly $891.4 million per day. The think tank expects the daily cost to decline over time as the U.S. shifts to less expensive munitions and as Iranian drone and missile attacks decrease.

In line with that approach, the U.S. military has announced plans to rely more heavily on Joint Direct Attack Munition bombs, which are significantly cheaper than some of the precision weapons used at the start of the conflict.

This strategy contrasts with the position of Mitch McConnell, the senator from Kentucky who chairs the Senate subcommittee responsible for Pentagon funding and has repeatedly urged the U.S. government to increase spending on ammunition production.

Meanwhile, reports by The New York Times and The Washington Post cited defense officials telling Congress that the U.S. military spent $5.6 billion on munitions in just the first two days of the war.