MOSCOW, March 4. /TASS/. The US armed forces spent about $779 mln in the first 24 hours of military operations in the Middle East, according to calculations by the Turkish Anadolu Agency.
If the conflict drags on, its cost could become "prohibitively high" for Washington, Thai expert in international relations and lecturer at the Peace Studies Institute of Prince of Songkla University Rustam Wansu told TASS.
TASS has gathered the key facts about the situation.
Scale of spending
- The US armed forces spent about $779 mln in the first 24 hours of military operations in the Middle East, according to calculations by Anadolu Agency.
- This is roughly 0.1% of the total US military budget for 2026.
- Since the start of hostilities against Iran, the United States has lost military equipment worth nearly $2 bln, Anadolu reported, citing its analysis of open-source data, including satellite imagery.
Breakdown of military expenditures
- According to Anadolu, the largest expense during the first day was the launch of Tomahawk missiles.
- These launches cost the US military about $340.4 mln.
- Fighter jet sorties ranked second, totaling $271.3 mln.
- The third-largest category of spending included the use of HIMARS multiple launch rocket systems, as well as intelligence gathering and logistical support.
- These costs together amounted to about $122.2 mln.
- Strikes carried out by B-2 strategic bombers cost Washington approximately $30.2 mln, Anadolu reported.
US losses
- In total, Iran inflicted at least $1.902 bln in damage on the United States, according to Anadolu.
- The most expensive loss was the AN/FPS-132 early warning radar system at a base in Qatar, valued at $1.1 bln.
- The United States also lost three F-15E fighter jets in Kuwait due to friendly fire from Kuwaiti air defense units. Replacing these aircraft would cost about $282 mln.
- Iranian forces also struck a THAAD missile defense system at a facility in the UAE, damaging a radar component valued at approximately $500 mln.
Financial risks for the United States
- If hostilities continue, the United States could face the consequences of rising oil prices and growing anti-war sentiment domestically, which could make the cost of the conflict "prohibitively high for Washington and its allies," Wansu said.
- A prolonged armed conflict with Iran could slow US economic growth, the Financial Times reported, citing head of global research at Barclays Ajay Rajadhyaksha.
- Rajadhyaksha explained that every $10 increase in the price of Brent crude oil could reduce US GDP growth by 0.1-0.2 percentage points over the following 12 months.
- Israeli leadership fears that the US may halt its military operation against Iran due to a sharp rise in energy prices caused by escalation in the Middle East, Al-Monitor reported, citing sources in the Israeli government.
- US President Donald Trump is "focused on the stock market" and does not want a weak dollar or expensive goods, especially amid the lack of public support for a war with Iran, one Israeli diplomat said.
- The United States could quickly exhaust its "one-year stockpiles" of critical defense munitions if Iran carries out several large-scale barrages of missiles and attack drones, Director of the Defense Program at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) Stacie Pettyjohn told the Financial Times.