President Donald Trump has indicated that the U.S. will likely conduct additional strikes on Iran and may reinstate a blockade on Iranian ports. This comes as the U.S. and Iran are operating under what has been described as a "shaky ceasefire," with Trump stating that the recent Iranian attacks signify the end of any interim agreement. His threats of further action raise concerns about a return to a full-scale war.
Meanwhile, the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) estimates the additional cost of the war to the Department of Defense to be approximately $40 billion, with a range between $34 billion and $42 billion. Other federal departments incurred an additional $1 billion. The largest component of this cost is munitions, totaling $26.1 billion. Fuel costs for the DOD reached $1.4 billion, reflecting a significant increase from budgeted prices. Damage to bases and fixed infrastructure accounted for $4.0 billion to $9.4 billion.
Broader economic analyses suggest even higher figures. Moody's estimated the war would cost Americans $132 billion, while the Cost of War Project included an additional $40 billion for increased fuel costs for the entire U.S. economy. The CSIS estimate differs from the DOD's wartime supplemental request of $80 billion, which includes non-war-related expenses, and early DOD estimates of $25 billion to $29 billion that did not fully account for base damage. Human costs were also reported, with 13 U.S. casualties, around 40 Israeli fatalities, and an estimated 1,700 civilian fatalities in Iran, alongside many in Lebanon. These costs highlight the immense financial and human toll of the conflict.
