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By Mandy Taheri
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The United States has spent over 10 billion dollars in the war in Iran, according to several Trump administration officials. The conflict, which began last month, has also pushed up oil prices and fueled market volatility.
Why It Matters
The U.S. and Israel launched coordinated strikes on Iran on February 28, notably killing the country’s longtime Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Since then, Israel and U.S. forces have carried out sustained bombardments across the country, including strikes on military facilities, as well as energy and civilian infrastructure.
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CNN estimates at least 3,000 people have been killed across the region since the war began, and the United Nations Refugee Agency says more than 3.2 million people have been displaced inside Iran. The war has expanded beyond Iran, with Tehran hitting Gulf states and Israel striking Lebanon.
Officials have reported upward of 2,500 deaths in the war, including over 1,300 in Iran, 900 people in Lebanon, 12 in Israel and 13 U.S. service members.
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What To Know
“The latest number I was briefed on was 12 [billion],” Kevin Hassett, director of the National Economic Council, told CBS News’s Face the Nation on Sunday.
Reuters and The New York Times previously reported that Trump administration officials told lawmakers in a closed-door briefing that the first six days of the war alone cost at least $11.3 billion. At the time, Reuters reported that the figure did not include the entire cost of the war.
On Thursday, Jules Hurst III, the Defense Department’s acting comptroller, cited a similar figure, although he noted it was a “ballpark number.”
Some Democrats have mentioned the war’s growing financial toll, arguing the conflict is raising fuel costs for Americans and diverting attention from domestic priorities.
The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) estimated that the first 100 hours of the war cost about $3.7 billion, or about $891.4 million per day.
Early estimates of the war’s cost do not appear to include expenses such as repairing damaged facilities that Iran has struck in retaliation or replacing equipment lost in Iranian attacks, suggesting the total price tag could be significantly higher.
How Have Oil Prices Changed?
With the conflict now stretching well beyond its February 28 start, the overall price tag is likely higher. In addition to equipment and munitions, energy markets reacted immediately after Iran curtailed traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a corridor that handles about 20 percent of the world’s oil.
The price of Brent crude—the international benchmark—has soared to over $100 per barrel, around $103.45 on Tuesday afternoon.
Gasoline prices have also jumped up to $3.79 a gallon on Tuesday. The price is the highest since October 2023, according to the AAA motor club. Diesel is over $5 nationally, up 34 percent since the war broke out, according to The New York Times.
President Donald Trump has acknowledged the rise in oil prices, describing it as a "very small price to pay" for American and global security. In a March 12 Truth Social post, the president wrote: "The United States is the largest Oil Producer in the World, by far, so when oil prices go up, we make a lot of money." He's also said that prices will fall back down once the military objectives are achieved.
What People Are Saying
Representative Ilhan Omar, a Minnesota Democrat, said in a March 16 X post: "The first week of Trump's illegal war in Iran cost Americans over $11 billion. Each day costs nearly $2 billion more. Gas prices are the highest they've been since 2023. Americans can't afford this expensive, endless war. It's time to stop Trump's reckless abuse of power."
Senator Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican, said in a March 16 X post: "To our allies in Europe and throughout the Middle East: If you don’t believe Iran with a nuclear weapon would eventually be your war – you have missed a lot. Through Midnight Hammer and Epic Fury, @POTUS acted in the nick of time to prevent a nuclear armed Iranian regime."
Representative Rosa DeLauro, a Connecticut Democrat, said in a March 17 X post: "Direct from the White House: President Trump will spend billions on his war with Iran before he lifts a finger to help Americans with the cost of living crisis."
Representative Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican, said in a March 8 X post: "The price of gas has gone up $0.47 and the price of diesel has gone up $0.83 in 10 days due to War with Iran. and waging war costs American taxpayers about $1 billion per day, which comes out to $10 per family per day, or $100 since the war began. This isn’t America First."
Senator Elizabeth Warren, a Massachusetts Democrat, told reporters after a classified briefing last week: "While there is no money for 15 million Americans who lost their health care, there's a billion dollars a day to spend on bombing Iran."
What Happens Next
The Pentagon is expected to seek additional war funding from the White House and Congress in the coming days. It remains unclear when the conflict will end.
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