Iran war costs US $11.3 billion; AGM‑154 bombs used in initial strikes bought by US Navy 20 years ago
Iran-US conflict: The conflict has caused over 1,200 deaths, including many civilians. Trump faces declining approval ratings and uncertainty over the war's outcome, which has already cost over $11.3 billion in its first six days.
Pentagon officials informed lawmakers in a closed-door briefing on Capitol Hill on Tuesday that the war against Iran had already cost more than $11.3 billion in its first six days, according to a report by The New York Times citing three sources familiar with the session.
NYT further reported that this figure does not account for additional expenses such as the deployment of troops and military equipment prior to the initial strikes. Furthermore, lawmakers anticipate that the total cost for the first week will rise significantly as the Pentagon continues to tally all related expenditures.
Earlier reports from The New York Times and The Washington Post indicated that, according to defence officials in recent congressional briefings, the U.S. military expended $5.6 billion worth of munitions in the first two days of the conflict with Iran.
The New York Times reported that the initial wave of strikes used weapons such as the AGM-154 glide bomb, which costs between $578,000 and $836,000 per unit.
The Navy purchased 3,000 of these bombs nearly 20 years ago. Since then, the U.S. military has reportedly shifted to less expensive munitions, like the Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM), where the smallest warhead costs about $1,000 and the guidance kit adds roughly $38,000, the NYT reported.
Meanwhile, facing volatile global markets and declining approval ratings since launching a war with Iran, US President Donald Trump has oscillated between demanding “unconditional surrender” and signalling willingness to accept an outcome in which Iran simply replaces one hard-line ayatollah with another, AP reported.
The shifting statements from Trump and his top aides have added to the uncertainty of the 12-day-old conflict, which is affecting nearly every part of the Middle East and sending economic shocks worldwide. With neither side yielding, the war is following an unpredictable course, and a clear endgame remains elusive, AP reported.
Making the case to Americans
According to a report by the Associated Press, Trump has faced challenges convincing Americans that his preemptive action against Iran was necessary and consistent with his pledge to avoid the “forever wars” of the past 20 years. So far, the conflict has resulted in seven U.S. troop deaths and around 140 injuries from Iranian retaliatory strikes.
One of Trump’s explanations for launching the war was that he had a “feeling” Iran was preparing to attack the U.S. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt slightly modified this, saying the president’s feeling was “based on fact.”
However, Pentagon officials have privately told congressional staff that there is no intelligence indicating Iran was planning a preemptive strike against the US, AP reported.
Recent polling suggests Trump’s action has not produced the typical rally-around-the-flag effect seen at the start of past U.S. wars. In a CNN poll, about 60% of U.S. adults said they trusted Trump “not much” or “not at all” to make the right decisions regarding U.S. use of force in Iran.
Deflecting responsibility for school bombing
On the first day of the conflict, a bombing of a girls’ school in southern Iran killed at least 165 people. US President Donald Trump initially blamed Iran, claiming its security forces are “very inaccurate” with munitions.
However, on Monday, after Bellingcat released a verified video showing a U.S. Tomahawk cruise missile striking a Revolutionary Guard facility near the school, Trump maintained that Iran could still be at fault but said he would accept the findings of a U.S. investigation.
Trump also incorrectly suggested that Tehran had access to Tomahawk missiles, which are U.S.-made and available only to the United States and a few close allies.
Iran’s Health Ministry said on March 8 that over 1,200 people had been killed in the conflict, including roughly 200 women and 200 children under 12, with more than 10,000 civilians injured, AFP reported.
The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) reported on March 10 that at least 1,787 people had died, including 1,262 civilians, among them at least 200 children, as well as 190 military personnel and 335 others whose status was not classified, AFP reported.
(With inputs from agencies)
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Mausam Jha is a journalist who focuses on world affairs and politics. She provides clear, informative reporting with a good understanding of both global events and their local impact. <br><br> Her clear, accessible reporting on political and international issues makes her a trusted source of news and analysis. <br><br> For the past three years, Mausam has worked with Mint, covering national politics, IR—including elections—and global affairs.<br> Before joining her current role, she gained experience working with The Statesman, ANI, and Financial Express, where she honed her skills in political and international news. <br><br> She has consistently tracked key electoral battles, including US elections, Japan elections, policy debates, and strategic affairs, explaining how global currents, from great power competition to regional conflicts <br><br> Beyond journalism, Mausam has a deep engagement with international relations, diplomacy, war studies, terrorism, political history, and political theory. She is particularly interested in the intersection of statecraft and society on how governance, ideology, and institutions shape lived realities, and how politics shape today's world order. <br><br> An avid reader of classical literature and political thought, she constantly explores the connections between historical ideas and contemporary policy challenges.