U.S. Iran War Costs Now Near $500 Million a Day, Analysts Say

Overview

• Independent estimates from AEI and CSIS put the five‑week bill for Operation Epic Fury at roughly $22.3 billion to $31 billion with running costs near $500 million per day.
• The Pentagon has asked Congress for about $200 billion to sustain strikes and replenish stocks, according to reporting cited by The Independent.
• High‑value losses include damage to the carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, an E‑3 Sentry at Prince Sultan Air Base, a missile‑warning radar in Qatar, other radars in Jordan and Qatar, more than a dozen MQ‑9 drones, an F‑15E downed in combat, three F‑15Es lost to friendly fire over Kuwait, and a KC‑135 tanker crash over Iraq.
• The toll on people is rising with 13 U.S. soldiers killed and 373 injured, reflecting risks to flight crews, air defenders, and maintenance teams working under fire.
• President Trump has set a ceasefire deadline and threatened escalation, while analysts warn that prolonged fighting could drain munitions, slow repairs for years, and weaken U.S. attention to other threats such as China and Taiwan.