American military bleeds US$11.3 billion in first week of Iran war: report

According to the Pentagon, the figure excludes many costs connected with the build-up to ‘Operation Epic Fury’1-MIN READ1-MIN2 ListenPublished: 6:12pm, 12 Mar 2026The opening week of the war against Iran cost the United States more than US$11.3 billion, lawmakers were told in a Pentagon briefing, according to a New York Times report underscoring the pace at which the conflict is consuming weapons and resources.The Times, citing unnamed sources familiar with Tuesday’s closed-door briefing, said members of Congress were told that the figure excludes many costs connected with the build-up to the strikes – suggesting the final tally for the first week could rise substantially.Defence officials had previously told Congress that roughly US$5.6 billion worth of munitions were expended in just the first two days of fighting, according to US media – a burn rate far higher than earlier public estimates.01:22Oil tankers set ablaze by Iranian drones as shipping vessels targeted in Middle East warOil tankers set ablaze by Iranian drones as shipping vessels targeted in Middle East warThe Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), an independent think tank in Washington, estimated that the first 100 hours of “Operation Epic Fury” cost US$3.7 billion – or more than US$891 million per day.Most of these costs, US$3.5 billion, had not already been budgeted, the CSIS said.The Iran War Cost Tracker website, which estimates the cost of the conflict in real time, showed a figure of more than US$17 billion on its counter on Thursday.According to the site, the United States is spending US$1 billion per day on the war.However, it points out the true cost of the war is likely higher, as the figures do not take into account long-term expenses such as veteran healthcare.