By Editor
The ongoing conflict involving Iran is costing the United States about $891.4 million per day, according to an analysis by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a think tank based in Washington, DC.
The estimate is based on an analysis of information released by the Pentagon on targets struck and the military assets deployed in the operation.
CSIS said the daily cost could fall if the United States begins to rely on cheaper weapons and if Iran reduces the number of drones and missiles it launches.
“However, future costs will depend mostly on the intensity of operations and the effectiveness of Iranian retaliation,” the report stated.
According to the analysis, air, naval and ground operations account for the largest share of daily spending. Air operations are estimated to cost about $30 million per day, while naval operations are put at around $15 million daily. Ground operations are estimated at $1.6 million each day.
The report also listed the daily cost of several key military assets used in the conflict.
For air assets, tanker and cargo aircraft operations cost about $9 million per day, while carrier air wings, non-stealth fighters, and stealth fighters each cost roughly $5 million daily.
For naval assets, operating an aircraft carrier costs about $6 million per day, while a destroyer costs around $5 million daily.
On the ground, the report estimates that an artillery brigade costs about $1 million per day, while a National Guard battalion costs less than $1 million daily.
CSIS also compared the current costs with those of earlier US military actions against Iran.
It noted that the US strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities in June 2025, known as Operation Midnight Hammer, cost less than the first 100 hours of military operations in the current conflict, even though the earlier operation lasted only about two-and-a-half hours.
According to CSIS, the first 100 hours of the current war have cost about $3.7 billion.
Separate estimates by the Costs of War project at Brown University put the cost of the Operation Midnight Hammer strikes at between $2.04 billion and $2.26 billion.
The research group said the main expenses during that operation included the use of 40 MOP 30,000-pound bombs, costing between $49 million and $70 million, the deployment of seven B2 stealth bombers, estimated at $31.75 million to $37.8 million, and the firing of 24 Tomahawk missiles, estimated at $36 million to $45.6 million.
Tribune Online reports that the US and Israel last Saturday launched pre-emptive attacks on several targets in Iran, leading to the death of its Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and other top officials.
Iran, in its retaliatory strikes, Tribune Online reports that it has fired missiles not just at Israel but also at many neighbouring Gulf countries where US assets are based, leading to tensions in the Middle East region.
