US spends $11bn in first six days of Iran war – Report

By Goli Innocent

The war between the United States and Iran is rapidly draining military resources, with a new report indicating that Washington spent more than $11 billion within the first six days of the campaign.

According to a report by The New York Times, lawmakers were briefed during a closed-door session at the Pentagon that the early phase of the operation has consumed massive quantities of weapons and funding.

Sources familiar with the briefing said the estimated $11.3 billion cost does not include several expenses tied to preparations before the strikes began.

That means the total financial burden for the opening week of the war could climb significantly as more figures emerge.

Earlier briefings to the United States Congress also revealed the pace at which weapons are being used. “Roughly $5.6 billion worth of munitions were expended in just the first two days of fighting,” according to US media reports cited in the briefing.

Independent analysts have also attempted to track the scale of spending. The Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington estimated that the first 100 hours of the operation, known as “Operation Epic Fury,” cost about $3.7 billion roughly $891 million per day.

Most of that expenditure had not been included in earlier defence budgets. “About $3.5 billion of the costs were not already budgeted,” the think tank said, highlighting the speed at which the conflict is absorbing resources.

Meanwhile, the online Iran War Cost Tracker estimates that the United States is now spending about $1 billion daily on the conflict, warning that the true cost could rise much higher once long-term obligations such as veterans’ healthcare are factored in.