AZE.US
The U.S. military campaign against Iran has already cost more than $10 billion in its first ten days, highlighting the enormous financial burden of large-scale modern warfare.
According to estimates compiled by Anadolu Agency, the total cost of the operation has reached approximately $10.35 billion, averaging over $1 billion per day.
The figure represents roughly 1.23% of the entire U.S. defense budget for 2026.
Rapidly rising operational costs
In the first 24 hours alone, U.S. forces spent an estimated $779 million as the operation began.
As the campaign expanded, daily spending increased sharply due to aircraft flight hours, maintenance, and the use of high-precision weapons and missile interceptors.
According to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, the first 100 hours of combat operations cost around $3.3 billion. Scaled across ten days, operational costs alone approach $8 billion.
Pentagon officials reportedly told Congress that about $6 billion was spent during the first week, including $4 billion on munitions and advanced missile interceptors.
Equipment losses add billions more
Beyond operational spending, the conflict has also resulted in significant equipment losses for the United States, estimated at about $2.55 billion.
One of the most expensive losses appears to be damage to an AN/FPS-132 early warning radar system at Al Udeid Air Base, valued at roughly $1.1 billion, after it was struck during Iranian retaliatory attacks.
Iranian strikes also hit the headquarters of the U.S. Fifth Fleet in Bahrain, destroying two satellite communication terminals and damaging several buildings.
Satellite imagery of Camp Arifjan later showed three destroyed radomes, adding tens of millions of dollars in damage.
Aircraft and drone losses
On the second day of the conflict, three U.S. F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jets were destroyed in a friendly-fire incident involving Kuwaiti air defenses. While the six crew members survived, the aircraft losses were estimated at about $282 million.
In addition, at least four MQ-9 Reaper surveillance drones belonging to the U.S. Air Force have reportedly been shot down during the conflict, bringing drone losses to roughly $120 million.
There are also reports that two AN/TPY-2 radar components, part of the THAAD missile defense system, were destroyed in separate strikes in the United Arab Emirates and Jordan, with each system valued at around $500 million.
Carrier groups and long-term costs
U.S. naval forces deployed to the region – including the aircraft carriers USS Abraham Lincoln and USS Gerald R. Ford – cost an estimated $15 million per day to operate along with their escort ships.
Reports indicate that another carrier strike group led by USS George H.W. Bush could also be deployed to the region, which would significantly increase daily costs.
The bigger picture
When combining about $7.8 billion in operational spending with $2.55 billion in equipment losses, the total estimated cost of the first ten days of the campaign reaches $10.35 billion.
Military analysts note that if the conflict continues at the current intensity, the financial cost could escalate rapidly, potentially reaching tens of billions of dollars within weeks.