New York – As the US-Israel war on Iran reaches 60 days, an Al Jazeera analysis breaks down the human and financial cost of decades of US-led conflicts, with the Iran war already estimated at nearly 1 billion dollars per day.
📊 Human and financial cost of US wars since 1950
| Conflict | Estimated total cost | Average cost per day | Civilian deaths (estimate) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Korean War (1950-1953) | 1.2 trillion dollars | Not available | 2 to 3 million |
| Vietnam War (1955-1975) | 1.5 trillion dollars | Not available | 1 to 2 million |
| Afghanistan War (2001-2021) | 2.3 trillion dollars | 300 million dollars | 70,000+ |
| Iraq War (2003-2011) | 2.0 trillion dollars | 684 million dollars | 200,000+ |
| Iran War (2026 – present, 60 days) | 12.7 billion dollars (first 6 days) | 1 billion dollars (first week) | 3,375+ |
Sources: Cost of War Project (Brown University), Pentagon, Center for Strategic and International Studies
💀 Human cost: Iran war
According to Iran’s Ministry of Health, US-Israeli attacks on Iran since February 28 have killed at least 3,375 people.
The US military has confirmed 13 combat-related deaths among its service members across the region, with more than 200 injuries.
Since 2001, US-led wars have directly caused the deaths of approximately 940,000 people across Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Syria, Yemen and other post-9/11 conflict zones, according to the Cost of War Project at Brown University.
💰 Financial cost: Iran war
First six days: The Trump administration spent 11.3 billion dollars on munitions alone, according to the Pentagon.
Daily average after first week: Approximately 500 million dollars per day, according to Mark Cancian, senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
Ceasefire period (current): Less than 100 million dollars per day, as the US is not using munitions.
Tomahawk missiles: The US used hundreds of them in the first days. Each missile costs 2.5 million dollars.
⛽ Impact on US consumers
The Climate Solutions Lab at Brown University estimates the total consumer burden from the increase in gasoline and diesel prices as a result of the war on Iran is 27.8 billion dollars, or roughly 200 dollars per household.
The national average price of gasoline has increased nearly 40 percent , from 2.90 dollars per gallon before the war to 4.10 dollars per gallon now.
One woman from Oklahoma, who asked to remain anonymous, told Al Jazeera: “I find it appalling that my tax dollars are funding a war when we have repeatedly been told that we cannot afford universal healthcare.”
📉 Public opinion
According to a Reuters/Ipsos poll from April 12, 60 percent of Americans disapprove of US military strikes on Iran. This is up from 43 percent disapproval at the start of the war.
This makes the Iran war the most unpopular in US history. Historically, US wars have mostly enjoyed a rally-around-the-flag effect with low disapproval at the outset.
⚖️ Why it matters
The United States entered this conflict without a declaration of war from Congress and without authorization from the United Nations Security Council. Critics say the military campaign violates the UN Charter, as it was not justified as self-defense against an armed attack.
Naveed Shah, political director of Common Defense and a veteran who served in Iraq from 2006 to 2010, told Al Jazeera that the current conflict with Iran is repeating the mistakes that led to 20 years in Iraq and Afghanistan, including shaky evidence, moving goalposts, and dangerous rhetoric that risks drawing the US into another prolonged war.
The US is expected to spend at least 2.2 trillion dollars on obligations for veterans’ healthcare over the next 30 years, according to the Cost of War Project.
🔻 The bottom line
A war critics call legally unauthorized under international law has cost US taxpayers billions of dollars, driven up prices for American families, killed thousands of Iranians, and become the most unpopular conflict in American history.
