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By Yang Won‑mo, The Public — The U.S. has spent at least $11.3 billion in less than a week on military operations targeting Iran, according to Defense Department estimates. The figure highlights how quickly costs have climbed in the campaign’s opening days.
In a report to Congress on March 10, the Pentagon estimated at least $11.3 billion in costs for the first six days of operations. That tally excludes prestrike expenses such as troop movements, weapons deployments and equipment buildup, so the actual first-week cost could be higher.
Defense officials say the main driver has been a rapid burn rate of munitions. At a congressional briefing, the department said munitions used in the first two days alone cost roughly $5.6 billion. The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) put the bill for the first 100 hours at about $3.7 billion — roughly $891 million per day.
Costs accelerated after operations began because the opening air campaign relied heavily on expensive precision-guided weapons. A notable example is the AGM‑154 Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW) glide bomb, which the Pentagon values at roughly $578,000 to $836,000 per round. The U.S. Navy bought about 3,000 of those munitions roughly two decades ago.
U.S. military officials say they are also weighing a shift to less costly weapons where feasible. For example, a Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) guidance kit runs about $38,000, while the associated warhead component is roughly $1,000.
The rapid rise in war costs has intensified debate on Capitol Hill. Some Republican lawmakers are pushing for expanded ammunition production and higher defense spending; others warn that approving additional war funding could become politically difficult. Democrats say the administration has not fully explained its strategy or an exit plan.
