Pentagon’s Iran campaign reportedly cost $40 billion - CNN
Photo: during the war, the world lost 1.15 billion barrels of oil (Getty Images)
The US military operation against Iran cost the Pentagon $40 billion. These are preliminary figures that will be published in an analysis by the Center for Strategic and International Studies, reports CNN.
According to the center's estimates, the first 100 hours of the war cost the US $3.7 billion. By the 12th day, total costs had reached approximately $16.5 billion. Subsequently, the daily cost of combat operations decreased as the frequency of strikes was reduced.
The total of $40 billion includes the cost of ammunition, destroyed equipment, and damage to bases. However, this amount does not include operational costs, which were already accounted for in the Pentagon's 2026 budget, which exceeds $1 trillion.
Additionally, although the Department of Defense bore the brunt of the costs, the conflict was also expensive for two other departments — the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Veterans Affairs, for whom the war cost $1 billion.
US consumers also suffered. Gasoline prices rose from an average of less than $3 per gallon to over $4 for most of the war.
According to a study on energy costs conducted by Brown University, US households spent $253 more than they would have if there had been no war.
Currently, oil from the Middle East has not been extracted for four months. Overall, according to Kpler, the world lost 1.15 billion barrels of oil during the war.
Furthermore, the latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates that inflation has exceeded 4% for the first time in three years, driven by rising energy prices.
US and Iran
According to Newsweek, a majority of US citizens are skeptical about the new preliminary agreement between the US and Iran. People do not believe this diplomatic move will bring the country any real strategic benefit.
On Sunday, negotiations between the US and Iran began in Switzerland regarding the nuclear program and the security situation in the Middle East. The US side stated during the day that significant progress had been made in the first hours of the meeting.
