By Obinna Uballa
The United States has spent more than $11 billion in the first six days of its war with Iran, according to a report that highlights the heavy financial burden of the fast-escalating conflict.
Lawmakers were told during a closed-door briefing at the United States Department of Defense that the opening phase of the war had already cost Washington about $11.3 billion, the The New York Times reported, citing sources familiar with the briefing.
The figure, presented to members of Congress on Tuesday, reportedly excludes several costs linked to the military buildup that preceded the strikes, suggesting the total expenditure for the first week of the conflict could be significantly higher.
According to defence officials, US forces consumed an estimated $5.6 billion worth of munitions within the first two days of combat alone, a spending rate far above earlier public projections.
The rapid pace of military operations has raised concerns in Washington about the strain the conflict could place on defence resources if it continues for an extended period.
Independent analysts have also highlighted the steep cost of the campaign. The Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) estimated that the first 100 hours of the military operation, known as Operation Epic Fury, cost roughly $3.7 billion, averaging more than $891 million per day.
According to CSIS, about $3.5 billion of those expenses had not been previously budgeted in US defence spending plans.
Separate estimates indicate the cost of the conflict is continuing to rise rapidly.
The online Iran War Cost Tracker, which calculates the cost of the conflict in real time, showed US spending had surpassed $17 billion as of around 08:00 GMT on Thursday.
The tracker estimates that Washington is currently spending approximately $1 billion per day on the war.
Analysts warn, however, that the actual financial burden could be significantly higher because such estimates often exclude long-term expenses tied to military conflicts, including veterans’ healthcare, equipment replacement and other post-war obligations.
