American expert: Iran war cost America $72 billion in 60 days

The American website Responsible Statecraft published a recent report by strategist and co-founder of the Institute for Security Policy Reform, Stephen Simler, revealing the true cost of a potential US war with Iran. Simler stated in his report that the war with Iran cost the United States approximately $72 billion in its first 60 days—roughly $1.2 billion per day.

Semler confirmed in his report that the total amount of $71.8 billion includes operational costs, weapons, and US aid provided to Israel for the purchase of bombs and interceptor missiles. It also includes approximately $11.9 billion in military assets lost or damaged during the war.

Semler stated that the $25 billion cost of the war cited by Pentagon Secretary Pete Hegseth and Acting Comptroller Joels Hurst before Congress was a lie. He described it as a denial of the escalating costs of war with Iran, one of the anticipated consequences of the Trump administration’s decision to wage war.

The report indicated that Washington is considering providing an additional aid package to compensate for lost ammunition and equipment, estimated to cost between $80 and $100 billion, while Congress will consider a record defense budget of $1.5 trillion for fiscal year 2027.

Semler added in his report that it would be up to Congress and its spending authority to decide whether to allow Trump to redouble his efforts in another endless war.

Harvard economist Linda Bilmes predicted last month that the United States could pay at least $1 trillion in the long run as a result of a war with Iran. Her estimate includes the direct operational costs of the war, as well as its after-effects, such as the costs of caring for veterans.

September 26