US Spending in Iran War Explained: How Much Has America Spent So Far?

The war involving Iran, the United States, and Israel has now entered its second month. There is ongoing discussion about how much money the US has already spent on this war. Reports suggest that the Trump administration has indicated to the US Congress that more funding might be needed. At the same time, there are also demands for transparency regarding the total spending on this war.

US Iran War Cost 2026

America spent around $11.3 billion in just the first six days of the Iran war. In Indian currency, this comes to about ₹1.05 lakh crore. To understand how big this amount is, you can compare it with India’s 2025 budget for research in science under the Research, Development and Innovation scheme, which was ₹1 lakh crore. The US spent even more than that in just the first six days of the war.

Reports from US media say that in the beginning, Tomahawk missiles were used in large numbers. One missile costs around $3.5 million, which is close to ₹32 crore. However, as Iran’s defense has weakened over time, some analysts say the US has started using bombs that cost less. The US Department of Defense has also stated that Iranian attacks have reduced by 90%.

A defense think tank in Washington, the Center for Strategic and International Studies, studied military activity, weapon costs, and available data. Based on this, it estimated that by the 12th day, the war was costing the US about $385 million per day, which is around ₹3,584 crore daily.

But is this level of spending new or unusual for the US? Analysts say that it is not very different from past defense budgets. Spending around $1 trillion annually on military power has been normal for the US.

To better understand this, it is important to look at previous wars. In March 2003, the US invaded Iraq, and by September 2003, the cost had reached around $57 billion in today’s value.

Similarly, during the Afghanistan war that started in 2001, thousands of troops were deployed. By 2012, it became the most expensive year of that war, costing about $131 billion, which is roughly ₹12.18 lakh crore.Former official Dr. Douglas Holtz, who served during President George W. Bush’s time, told the BBC that the spending in the early days of the Iran war has already gone beyond the costs of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said that money has to be spent to deal with “bad people.” Along with this, the Pentagon has requested an additional $20 billion from Congress, which is around ₹1.86 lakh crore.This amount is equal to India’s defense ministry capital budget for 2025–26, which is used to buy weapons, aircraft, and ships.