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Live Cost Tracker

Iran War Cost Tracker

Operation Epic Fury began March 1, 2026. This tracker estimates the running cost to US taxpayers based on Pentagon data and independent analyses.

Estimated Total Cost
$0.00
and counting...
0
Days
0
Hours
0
Minutes
$11,574
per second
$694,444
per minute
$41.67M
per hour
$1B
Daily Cost (Est.)
$3.70B
First 100 Hours
$6B
First Week
$50B
Supplemental Request

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First 100 Hours: Where the Money Went

CSIS analysis of $3,700,000,000 spent in the opening phase of Operation Epic Fury (March 1-5, 2026).

Itemized Cost Breakdown

Drill into each spending category to see individual munitions, equipment, and operational costs.

Offensive Strike Munitions
$1.50B
Tomahawk cruise missiles, JDAM kits, ATACMS, Precision Strike Missiles, and attack drones
Tomahawk Cruise Missile
Opening phase strikes
$3,600,000
× 160
JDAM Kit
Transitioned to cheaper precision munitions
$80,000
× 1,500+
ATACMS Missile
Long-range ground targets
$1,700,000
× Unknown
One-Way Attack Drone
Switchblade-type loitering munitions
$100,000
× Unknown
Air Defense Interceptors
$1.60B
SM-2, SM-3, Patriot PAC-3, and THAAD interceptors defending against Iranian missiles and drones
SM-3 Interceptor
Ballistic missile defense
$28,000,000
× Classified
SM-2 Interceptor
Cruise missile & drone defense
$2,100,000
× Classified
Patriot PAC-3 MSE
Point defense against ballistic missiles
$4,100,000
× Classified
THAAD Interceptor
High-altitude ballistic missile defense
$41,000,000
× Limited
Air Operations
$125.20M
~200 fighter aircraft including F-15EX, F-35, F-16, F/A-18, and B-2 bombers
F-35A sortie
Per flight hour
$42,000
F-15EX sortie
Per flight hour
$29,000
B-2 Spirit sortie
Per flight hour
$169,000
KC-135 tanker sortie
Per flight hour
$9,200
Naval Operations
$64.50M
2 carrier strike groups, 14 destroyers, cruisers, and support vessels
Aircraft carrier daily ops
Including air wing
$6,500,000
Destroyer daily ops
Per day
$85,000
Cruiser daily ops
Per day (Ticonderoga)
$120,000
Submarine daily ops
Per day
$180,000
Ground Operations
$7M
Artillery, air defense units, and forward-deployed personnel
Detailed breakdown not available. Daily rate: $1,600,000
Equipment Losses & Damage
$350M
Combat losses and infrastructure damage from Iranian strikes
F-15EX (lost)
Friendly fire incident
$103,000,000
× 3
Infrastructure repairs
Base damage from Iranian missiles
$41,000,000
× 1

Deployed Military Assets

The largest US military buildup in the Middle East since the 2003 Iraq War.

Aircraft Carriers
2
Nimitz-class
USS Eisenhower & USS Lincoln
Daily Cost
$6,500,000
Fighter Aircraft
200
Mixed (F-35, F-15, F-16, F/A-18)
Largest surge since 2003 Iraq War
Daily Cost
$23,314,000
Destroyers
14
Arleigh Burke-class
Aegis missile defense
Daily Cost
$1,190,000
Submarines
4
Virginia & Ohio-class
Including cruise missile subs
Daily Cost
$720,000
Ground Troops
15,000
Deployed personnel
Air defense, logistics, special operations
Daily Cost
$1,600,000
Iranian Response: Why Air Defense Costs So Much
Iran launched a massive retaliatory strike, driving up US air defense expenditures to an estimated $1.6 billion in the first 100 hours alone.
500
Ballistic Missiles
2,000
Drones
500
Missiles Intercepted
1,300
Drones Intercepted

Coalition intercepts by Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, UAE

What Could This Money Fund Instead?

Real-time comparisons showing how the war cost could be spent on domestic programs.

👩‍🏫
Teacher Salaries
$68,000 each
0
Average annual public school teacher salary
🏥
Years of Medicaid
$9,000 each
0
Annual Medicaid spending per beneficiary
🎓
Pell Grants
$7,395 each
0
Maximum annual Pell Grant award
❤️
Family Healthcare Plans
$24,000 each
0
Annual family health insurance coverage
🍎
Years of School Lunches
$1,000 each
0
180 school days of meals per student
👶
Head Start Slots
$12,000 each
0
Annual cost per child in Head Start
These comparisons update in real-time based on the estimated war cost of $0.00

Cost Projections: Where This Is Heading

Economic models estimate the full cost if operations continue.

Two-Month Direct Costs
Penn Wharton Budget Model estimate
$40Bto$95B

Direct military operations and equipment replacement costs

Total Economic Impact
Including indirect costs and market effects
$210B

Oil price shocks, supply chain disruption, market volatility

Methodology & Data Sources

How We Calculate the Running Total

  • First 100 hours: Uses CSIS detailed analysis of Pentagon data ($3,700,000,000)
  • After 100 hours: Uses the Congressional estimate of $1,000,000,000 per day
  • Real-time calculation: Cost increases proportionally based on elapsed time since March 1, 2026

Important Caveats

  • Estimates vary widely ($800M to $2B/day) depending on source and methodology
  • Some costs (classified munitions, special operations) are not publicly disclosed
  • Long-term costs (veteran care, equipment replacement) are not included in daily estimates
  • This tracker provides an estimate, not an official government figure

Data Sources

CSIS: $3.7 Billion: Estimated Cost of Epic Fury's First 100 HoursNational Priorities Project: FACT SHEET: How much is the war in Iran costing taxpayers?Institute for Policy Studies: How Much Is the War in Iran Costing American Taxpayers?Al Jazeera: Is the Iran war really costing the US $2bn per day?Brown University Costs of War Project: Costs of War Research