The New York Times: The First Week of Conflict with Iran Cost the US About $6 Billion

According to Pentagon data, about $4 billion of this was spent on purchasing ammunition, mainly anti-missile missiles used to intercept incoming Iranian missiles.

The high cost mainly stems from the use of expensive interceptors: for example, the PAC-3 Patriot missile costs about $3.7 million per unit, while the interceptor missile of the THAAD system costs as much as $13 million per unit.

Additional expenses involve the deployment of forces to the region. Currently, more than 50,000 U.S. military personnel are deployed in the Middle East, along with two aircraft carriers, dozens of warships, and additional bomber squadrons. The Trump administration is expected to soon request additional funds from Congress to sustain military operations.

The $6 billion figure is only for the first week of expenses. If the conflict continues, military spending will grow exponentially. The Trump administration's request for additional budget means the United States will face significant financial pressure domestically.

Cost escalation and time points of the war

- Week 1 (already occurred): approximately $6 billion, averaging about $850 million per day, mainly for ammunition (including anti-missile interceptors) and troop deployment costs.

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- Short term (2–4 weeks, high intensity): cumulative about $200–300 billion. If maintaining a daily average of $8–9 billion, combined with ammunition replenishment and equipment replacement, it can reach around $200 billion in 2 weeks and approach $300 billion in 4 weeks.

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- Mid-term (1–3 months, including ground operations): cumulative about $800–1,000 billion. Both the Penn Wharton Budget Model (PWBM) and CSIS point to this range, including large-scale troop rotation, replacement of damaged equipment, and ongoing air defense costs.

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- Long term (≥6 months, full-scale war): cumulative could exceed $2,000 billion, with extreme scenarios (occupation/military occupation) reaching up to $12,000 billion, mainly due to the deployment of ground forces, long-term logistics, and interest on debt.

Key factors driving up military spending

- Imbalanced exchange ratio for missile defense: an Iranian "Shahed" drone costs about $20,000 per unit, while the U.S. "Patriot" PAC-3 costs about $3.7 million per unit, and the THAAD interceptor costs about $13 million per unit. The interception cost is hundreds of times that of the target, consuming rapidly.

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- Maintenance of troops and equipment: over 50,000 U.S. troops in the Middle East, 2 aircraft carriers, dozens of ships, and bomber squadrons, with daily operating costs of about $17–25 million. The longer the duration, the more money is burned.

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- Replenishment and production expansion: the Trump administration is pushing for a $50 billion emergency appropriation, requiring defense companies to increase production (e.g., quadrupling the production of "Patriot" missiles), further increasing spending.

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- Hidden costs: equipment damage (such as a radar at Al Udeid Air Base worth $1.1 billion), economic losses caused by rising oil prices, and long-term care for veterans after the war, all of which are not included in the short-term bill.

Original: toutiao.com/article/1859092764603392/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author alone.