● Live Estimate · Operation Epic Fury · Strikes Began Feb 28, 2026
Cost of the Iran War
U.S. TAXPAYER DOLLARS
Operation Epic Fury — Est. U.S. Cost Since Strikes Began
$622,176,385
mid-range est. @ ~$250M/day | range: $373.3M – $995.5M
02
Days
:
11
Hrs
:
43
Min
:
44
Sec
Per Second
$2,894
Per Hour
$10,416,667
Per Day
$250,000,000
Broader U.S. Costs — Iran & Proxy Conflicts
U.S. spending on post-Oct 7 conflicts
Brown Univ. Costs of War, through Oct 2025
$31.4B – $33.8B
↳ Military aid to Israel
Since Oct 7, 2023
$22.0B
↳ Yemen/regional operations
Houthi campaign, regional force posture
$9.7B – $12.1B
Op. Midnight Hammer (June '25 nuclear strikes)
GBU-57 bunker busters on Fordow/Natanz/Isfahan
$196M
Israel — Op. Rising Lion (June '25)
12-day war, ~20B shekels
$6.5B
Israel 2026 defense budget
144B shekels — highest ever; $2.2B earmarked for Iran
$44.7B
Pre-strike U.S. deployment (Jan–Feb '26)
Carrier groups, jets, anti-missile systems
$30M/day
Economic & Market Impact (as of Mar 2)
Brent Crude
$72.87 → $80+
Proj. +$10-20/bbl
Gas Prices
+13¢/gal
Starting Monday
S&P 500 Futures
−1.0%+
Gold
+3% ($150+)
Safe haven flight
Dow Futures
−500+ pts
Strait of Hormuz
SUSPENDED
20% global oil transit
For Comparison
Post-9/11 Wars: $8 trillion over 20 years (~$300M/day avg.)
Iraq War avg. oil price: ~$72/bbl (≈ $100+ in 2026 dollars)
Iran-Iraq War (1980–88): $622B total (est. 9 years of Iran's GDP)
U.S. national debt interest: $1T projected for 2026 alone
Every $1M in military spending creates ~5 jobs.
The same $1M creates ~13 in education, ~9 in healthcare.
The same $1M creates ~13 in education, ~9 in healthcare.
Methodology & Sources
Running estimate uses $250M/day midpoint for active U.S. combat operations, based on Iraq War comparables and Brown University's Costs of War analysis. Range: $150M–$400M/day. Pre-strike deployment was ~$30M/day. Actual costs of Operation Epic Fury will likely be significantly higher during peak strike operations. Does not include: long-term veteran care, economic opportunity costs, indirect costs from energy disruption, or allied nation expenditures.
Sources: Brown Univ. Costs of War Project · Atlantic Council · Stimson Center · Congressional Budget Office · Calcalist · Rystad Energy · SIPRI