Pentagon officials recently disclosed to lawmakers during a closed-door briefing on Capitol Hill that the first six days of the war with Iran have incurred costs exceeding $11.3 billion. The New York Times reports, citing three sources familiar with the session, that this figure does not include additional expenditures such as the deployment of troops and military equipment prior to the initial strikes. Lawmakers expect the total costs for the first week to escalate further as the Pentagon continues compiling all associated expenses.
Earlier reports from both The New York Times and The Washington Post indicated that U.S. military operations have already consumed $5.6 billion worth of munitions in just the first two days of conflict. These strikes employed advanced weaponry like the AGM-154 glide bomb, which ranges in cost from $578,000 to $836,000 per unit. The Navy originally purchased 3,000 of these bombs nearly two decades ago, but the military has since transitioned to more cost-effective munitions such as the Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM), the smallest warhead of which costs around $1,000, with the guidance kit adding approximately $38,000.
Concurrently, President Donald Trump faces challenges in justifying the war to the American public, particularly given the volatile global markets and declining approval ratings following the military escalation. Recent statements from Trump have alternated between demanding “unconditional surrender” from Iran and suggesting a willingness to accept a regime change that merely swaps one hard-line leader for another. These ambiguous signals contribute to the uncertainty surrounding this 12-day conflict, which increasingly impacts the Middle East and generates economic tremors worldwide.
Despite the military’s intensive campaign, public opinion appears divided. A CNN poll indicates that about 60% of Americans distrust Trump’s judgment regarding military engagement in Iran, complicating his efforts to rally support. The president has cited a “feeling” regarding an impending Iranian attack as his rationale for the military action, while White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt later claimed this “feeling” was based on facts. However, Pentagon officials have reportedly informed Congress that there is no intelligence to suggest Iran was planning a preemptive strike against the U.S.
The conflict has already resulted in significant casualties, with seven U.S. troops reported dead and roughly 140 others injured due to Iranian retaliatory measures. On the same day hostilities began, a bombing at a girls’ school in southern Iran tragically claimed at least 165 lives. Initially, Trump attributed the attack to Iranian ineptitude. However, a verified video released by Bellingcat indicated that a U.S. Tomahawk cruise missile struck a Revolutionary Guard facility near the school, prompting Trump to maintain that Iran could still bear some responsibility while also accepting the need for a U.S. investigation.
Iran’s Health Ministry has reported that over 1,200 people have died in the conflict, including roughly 200 women and 200 children under 12, with more than 10,000 civilians injured. The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency added that by March 10, at least 1,787 fatalities were recorded, comprising 1,262 civilians, among them at least 200 children, along with military personnel and others whose status remains unclassified.
In this increasingly complex geopolitical landscape, as both sides remains entrenched, the future of the conflict remains uncertain, prompting global reactions and heightened scrutiny on U.S. military strategy.
Original Source: https://www.livemint.com/news/world/iran-war-costs-us-11-3-billion-agm-154-bombs-used-in-initial-strikes-bought-by-us-navy-20-years-ago-11773299305789.html
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Publish Date: 2026-03-12 13:44:00
