The Cost of the Iran War
“It takes money to kill bad guys,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said as he sought $200 billion in funding for the Iran war in March. But the cost far exceeds money.
HUMAN COST
175
Number of Iranians killed in the February 28 US missile strike on the Shajarah Tayyebeh elementary school, most of whom were children
3,291
Number of Iranians killed as of March 24 since the United States and Israel started the war
1,072
Number of people killed in Lebanon as of March 24
22
Number of people killed in the Gulf states as of March 25
18
Number of people killed in Israel as of March 25
13
Number of US service members killed as of March 16
3.2m
Number of Iranians who have been displaced as of March 12
1m
Number of people in Lebanon who have been displaced as of March 23
FINANCIAL COST
$16.5b
Amount spent by the United States during the first 12 days of the war
$5.6b
Estimated value of munitions used during the first two days of the war
$3.5m
Estimated cost of one Tomahawk cruise missile
20%
Portion of the world’s oil and natural gas that passes through the Strait of Hormuz
30%
Portion of the world’s fertilizer exports that pass through the Strait of Hormuz
$119
Cost of a barrel of oil as of March 19
30–40%
Expected rise in the cost of fertilizer for farmers
GLOBAL COST
12
Number of countries Iran has struck in retaliation
5m
CO2 amount, in metric tons, emitted in the first two weeks of the war
56%
Portion of Americans who disapproved of the war two weeks after its start
Support The Nation’s June Fundraising Campaign
With the midterm elections now firmly upon us, the question is whether Democratic candidates will do more than merely occupy ballot lines as mild alternatives to the red-hot crisis that is Donald Trump.
As Trump spends over $1 billion a day on a globally destabilizing war on Iran and admits that he doesn’t “think about Americans’ financial situation,” millions across the country are struggling with the surging costs of essentials. Democrats must seize this moment and advance bold, small-“d” populist ideas—not settle for cynical caution that once again snatches defeat from the jaws of victory.
The Nation elevates progressive ideas, movements, and elected officials achieving real change across the country into the national conversation. At the same time, our journalists are exposing how crypto and AI-funded super PACs are spending hundreds of millions of dollars to knock out candidates they oppose, reporting on the devastating impact of the Supreme Court’s evisceration of the Voting Rights Act, and sounding the alarm on attempts by red states to quickly redraw electoral maps, disenfranchising Southern Black voters.
We can play this critical role because of support from readers like you. This June, we’re raising $20,000 to power The Nation’s independent journalism in the run-up to November’s immensely consequential elections.
It’s in our power to build a more just society, and your support at this critical moment brings us closer to that bold vision. I hope you’ll donate today.
Onward,
Katrina vanden Huevel
Editor and Publisher, The Nation
