Media: US-Iran conflict mounts with daily costs nearing $500 million

President Donald Trump has intensified warnings of a major escalation in the ongoing US conflict with Iran, as analysts estimate the war is costing approximately $500 million per day, with total spending reaching as much as $31 billion over five weeks of operations, Independent reports.

Ahead of a self-imposed 8 p.m. ET April 8 deadline for Tehran to agree to a ceasefire, Trump issued a stark warning, declaring that “a whole civilisation will die tonight, never to be brought back again” unless a deal is reached, while vowing to target the country’s civilian infrastructure.

According to research from the American Enterprise Institute, senior fellow Elaine McCusker estimates that between $22.3 billion and $31 billion has already been spent on Operation Epic Fury since its launch on February 28. Of that, between $2.1 billion and $3.6 billion is attributed to replacing damaged or destroyed equipment, though the institute notes a full assessment remains premature.

Further analysis by the Centre for Strategic and International Studies found at least $1.4 billion in losses during the first six days of fighting, with analyst Mark Cancian estimating current daily costs at roughly half a billion dollars.

Key expenses include repairs to the USS Gerald R. Ford and damage to missile warning systems in Qatar. “Damaged equipment can sometimes be repaired in days, while some destroyed systems will take years to replace on a one-to-one basis,” McCusker said.

Additional losses include a $700 million Boeing E-3 Sentry and multiple radar systems. “Repairing or replacing them is going to be a very high priority,” said Tom Karako, adding: “You cannot take an Amazon Basics radar and substitute it for an AN/TPY-2.”

The conflict has also claimed 13 US service members’ lives, with 373 injured, underscoring the mounting human and financial toll.

By Vafa Guliyeva