US-Iran War Cost Tracker

Costs varied by phase: ~$1.88B/day in the first 6 days (heavy Tomahawk and interceptor use per Pentagon briefing), declining to ~$500M/day as the US shifted to cheaper munitions (CSIS). Since the April 8 ceasefire, standby costs are estimated at ~$95M/day.

Operation Epic Fury is the US military code name for joint operations with Israel against Iran, which began on February 28, 2026. Initial strikes killed Supreme Leader Khamenei. A fragile ceasefire brokered by Pakistan took effect April 8, 2026.

As of day 211, the estimated total cost is approximately $44.17B. Penn Wharton Budget Model estimates $27–28B in direct military costs through the ceasefire. CSIS reported $11.3B at Day 6 and $16.5B at Day 12.

US taxpayers fund Operation Epic Fury through the Department of Defense budget. The Pentagon requested over $200B in supplemental funding, later reduced to ~$80–100B. No supplemental has been passed by Congress as of April 2026.

At its peak rate of ~$1.88B/day (first 6 days), Epic Fury was far costlier per day than the Iraq War (~$410M/day average) or Afghanistan (~$300M/day). Total direct costs through the ceasefire (~$25B Pentagon-confirmed by Apr 28; CRS internal estimates $40–50B) make it one of the most expensive short-duration US military operations in history.

The US-Iran war — code-named Operation Epic Fury — began on February 28, 2026, when joint US-Israeli strikes hit Iranian military and nuclear installations. Initial strikes killed Supreme Leader Khamenei.

No. A fragile ceasefire brokered by Pakistan took effect on April 8, 2026. On April 19, 2026, the US reimposed restrictions following renewed Iranian missile activity. The status remains contested — standby costs continue to accrue while the conflict is officially paused rather than concluded.

As of day 211, the US-Iran war has cost approximately $259.82 per US federal taxpayer, based on total spending of $44.17B divided across an estimated 170 million US taxpayers.

Congressional Research Service (CRS R48887) has not yet released a consolidated casualty figure. See our upcoming casualties tracker for verified US service member figures — we only publish numbers that can be cross-referenced against DoD and CRS disclosures.

Yes — on March 2, 2026, the IRGC announced closure of the Strait of Hormuz to US and Israel-allied shipping. See our Strait of Hormuz tracker for current status, oil price impact, and war-risk insurance rates.

The phased model likely understates a resumption scenario. The ~$500M/day Phase 2 rate assumes US air dominance and a JDAM-dominant munitions mix. Iran is expected to reconstitute air defenses during the ceasefire (as observed in Iraq 1991–2003, Libya, and Serbia rebuilds). A return to combat would require another expensive SEAD/DEAD phase — stand-off cruise missiles, anti-radiation missiles, and interceptor expenditure against reconstituted Iranian launches — before the US could revert to cheaper munitions. First 2–3 weeks of a resumption could run 2–4x the sustained rate. This model does not forecast post-ceasefire scenarios; totals shown are historical through April 8 plus standby positioning since.

Caveat added after a reader methodology question from r/geopolitics, April 21, 2026.