Fact Check Team: How much has the war with Iran cost the American taxpayer?
WASHINGTON (TNND) — The price tag on the U.S. war with Iran is climbing fast—and it’s already in the tens of billions.

Early estimates from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) put the cost at about $16.5 billion by day 12 of what the Pentagon has called Operation Epic Fury, based in part on briefings provided to Congress reported by The New York Times. Now, on day 18 of the conflict, the Pentagon hasn’t publicly confirmed official figures.


Why did the costs skyrocket early?

The short answer is simple: weapons, and a lot of them. According to CSIS, the biggest driver of early costs was high-end munitions, especially in the opening days of the campaign. The U.S. relied heavily on long-range precision weapons like Tomahawk cruise missiles, which can cost roughly $3.5 million per missile, which adds up fast. Reporting from The Washington Post, citing Pentagon briefings, found that about $5.6 billion was spent on munitions in just the first two days of fighting. Combined with other operational costs, total daily spending in the early phase reached as high as $2 billion per day, according to CSIS estimates.