مليار دولار يومياً في حرب إيران.. هل تفتح «ثقباً أسود» في ميزانية البنتاغون؟

At a time when attention is focused on the trajectory of the American-Israeli war against Iran and its declared military objectives, the dimensions of the exorbitant economic cost of this conflict are gradually unfolding. Alongside the explosions hitting targets inside Iran, the U.S. Treasury is recording a rapid financial bleed that could alter defense spending equations in Washington. Preliminary estimates reported by media outlets and research centers indicate that the cost of military operations could reach about one billion dollars daily, with warnings that the continuation of the war could turn it into a "black hole" that consumes the U.S. defense budget.

One Billion Dollars a Day... An Expensive War

A U.S. congressional official revealed that initial estimates from the Department of Defense (Pentagon) indicate that the cost of the ongoing war against Iran is approaching one billion dollars daily, according to what was reported by The Atlantic.

The expenses are not limited to the price of bombs and missiles alone; they also include the costs of operating air and naval fleets and advanced defense systems, in addition to logistical operations and large-scale military deployment in the region.

According to U.S. Central Command, the U.S. military targeted more than 1,250 sites inside Iran during the first 48 hours of the strikes, using over 20 types of military assets and various combat systems.

The First Day... 779 Million Dollars in 24 Hours

While explosions shook Tehran, the U.S. Treasury was spending at an unprecedented rate. Estimates from Anadolu Agency indicate that U.S. forces spent about 779 million dollars during the first 24 hours of the attack alone, which is equivalent to about 0.1% of the U.S. defense budget for 2026.

The military deployment included:
• B-2 stealth bombers
• F-22, F-35, and F-16 fighters
• A-10 attack aircraft
• EA-18G electronic warfare aircraft
• MQ-9 Reaper drones
• Nuclear aircraft carriers and guided missile destroyers
• Patriot and THAAD missile defense systems

Additionally, four B-2 stealth bombers conducted a long mission from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri, striking targets using JDAM guided bombs weighing about 2,000 pounds.

Drones... The Cheaper Weapon

Bloomberg estimates that the cost of operating some military assets ranges from 35,000 dollars to millions of dollars.

For example:
• The cost of a suicide drone is about 35,000 dollars.
• Using about 1,250 drones could cost around 43.8 million dollars.

Although drones are considered the less expensive option compared to advanced missiles, their intensive use doubles the total spending.

Stealth Bombers and Missiles... Millions with Every Strike

Major strikes are the most costly in this war, with estimates suggesting that some operations could reach tens of millions of dollars.

Among the notable figures circulating:
• Operating a B-2 bomber costs between 130,000 and 150,000 dollars per flight hour.
• A THAAD interceptor missile costs about 12.8 million dollars per missile.

Moreover, the precise operations carried out by manned and advanced unmanned aircraft could add millions of dollars to the war bill.

Aircraft Carriers... Continuous Daily Bleeding

Naval operations constitute a significant part of the war bill. According to international reports, the cost of operating two aircraft carriers in the region is about 13 million dollars daily.

Bloomberg previously estimated that operating the USS Gerald Ford aircraft carrier alone costs about 11.4 million dollars daily during its military deployment.

Military Operations... Where Do the Billions Go?

An analysis from the Center for Strategic and International Studies estimated the cost of the war at about 891.4 million dollars daily, with expectations of a decrease in costs later if reliance is placed on less expensive munitions.

The daily expenses are approximately distributed as follows:

Air Operations:
• Carriers and shipping: 9 million dollars
• Conventional fighters: 5 million
• Stealth fighters: 5 million

Naval Operations:
• Aircraft carriers: 6 million
• Destroyers: 5 million

Ground Operations:
• Artillery brigade: about one million dollars
• National Guard battalion: less than one million dollars

Comparison to Last Year's Strikes

Comparisons show that the current war is significantly more expensive than previous operations.

During the U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities in June 2025, known as Operation "Midnight Hammer," the cost was about 2 to 2.26 billion dollars only, and the operation lasted approximately two and a half hours.

In the current war, the cost of the first 100 hours alone reached about 3.7 billion dollars, according to estimates from American research centers.

Where Is the War Bill Heading?

Experts warn that the final cost of the war will remain unclear until the operations conclude.

Lindsey Koshgarian, director of the National Priorities Project at the Institute for Policy Studies, states that such conflicts are difficult to estimate accurately before they end, noting that the Iraq War cost about 3 trillion dollars.

For his part, Kent Smetters, director of the Budget Models Program at the University of Pennsylvania, estimated that a war lasting two months could cost between 40 and 95 billion dollars, depending on the scale of operations and the likelihood of deploying ground forces.

However, some experts believe that Washington may consider these costs much lower than the cost of allowing Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon, a scenario that could result in losses amounting to trillions of dollars, according to their estimates.