The first six days of the conflict in the Middle East have cost Washington at least $11.3 billion, estimates show
The US is rapidly depleting its weapons stockpiles and has “burned through years” of some critical munitions since starting its war against Iran, the Financial Times reported on Friday, citing people familiar with the matter.
In a closed‑door briefing on Tuesday, Pentagon officials estimated that the first six days of the US war with Iran have already cost at least $11.3 billion, according to the outlet.
The rapid munitions drain has stoked fears over the soaring cost of the war and Washington’s capacity to restock key weapons, including advanced long-range Tomahawk missiles, the FT said.
The Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies estimated that US forces fired 168 Tomahawk cruise missile during the first 100 hours of the operation against Iran.
“That’s a huge Tomahawk expenditure. The Navy will feel that for several years,” one source told the outlet, adding that the US is facing a shortfall that is unlikely to be fixed anytime soon.
Tomahawk cruise missiles, the US Navy’s long-range, subsonic strike weapon that carries a 1,000‑pound warhead, cost about $3.6 million each. The US military has bought just 322 over the past five years, including 57 for fiscal 2026 at $206.6 million, enough to replace only a fraction of those likely used in recent operations.
The scale of US spending sharply contrasts with recent assurances from Washington. War Secretary Pete Hegseth told the public earlier this month that “our munitions are full up and our will is iron-clad,” while Trump boasted that the country can fight wars “forever” thanks to “virtually unlimited” weapons supply.
According to the British outlet, the Pentagon is expected to soon submit a request to the White House and Congress for as much as $50 billion in additional military funding.
But any additional funding for the Iran war is likely to face stiff opposition in both chambers. Democratic lawmakers are expected to push back, with many condemning the campaign as unlawful given the absence of congressional authorization, the FT said.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, signaled resistance to an open-ended request and recalled that the White House had long told Ukraine and its European backers it could not provide more weapons without depleting US stockpiles.
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