US spends hundreds of millions daily on Iran operation — FT
US military base (photo: facebook.com/USNavy1)
War against Iran costs the United States hundreds of millions of dollars per day, with about one tenth of these expenses made up by military equipment losses, Financial Times reports.
Elaine McCusker, senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, estimates the United States spending on the war against Iran at 22.3–31 billion dollars over five weeks.
She included in her calculations the costs of deploying additional United States forces to the Middle East since the end of December 2025. McCusker additionally estimates lost and damaged equipment during combat at 2.1–3.6 billion dollars, taking into account replacement.
Half a billion dollars per day
The Center for Strategic and International Studies estimated combat losses and damage to military infrastructure at 1.4 billion dollars in the first six days of operation.
However, later at a military base near Riyadh, an E-3 Sentry aircraft, which is no longer produced, was damaged — replacing it with a new model may require more than 700 million dollars.
According to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, the United States spends about half a billion dollars per day on operations. The amount of losses may turn out to be significantly higher depending on what equipment was located at sites that were under Iranian strikes.
For example, the United States lost KC-135 tanker aircraft used for long-range American bombers — its replacement, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, will cost 160 million dollars.
The most important damaged United States assets
Among the most important damaged United States assets are two radar systems in Jordan and Qatar. These are AN/TPY-2 radars that ensure the operation of Terminal High Altitude Area Defense missile defense battery — one was hit at base at the very beginning of the conflict, and the second was struck in Saudi Arabia.
Replacing one AN/TPY-2 requires nearly 500 million dollars and about three years. Last year, defense company Raytheon delivered only 13th such systems, and the United States has no stockpile.
In addition, Washington lost an F-15 fighter worth 100 million dollars, and the search for its second pilot required significant forces and costs.
After the completion of the operation, United States troops blew up two MC-130J aircraft stuck on Iranian territory, worth more than 100 million dollars each, and two MH-6 helicopters so that the enemy would not gain access to important technologies.
Trump's ultimatum
The United States President Donald Trump once again called on Iran to unblock the passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz. He hinted that in case of refusal on Tuesday, April 7, strikes would be carried out on energy infrastructure and bridges in the country.
Axios, citing sources, reported that the bombing plan is already ready, but Trump is considering the possibility of delaying strikes on the civilian and energy infrastructure of Iran to give diplomacy a chance.
