The cost of U.S. military operations against Iran, so far

$72,089,107,261

Updated May 13, 2026|~$891,400,000/day

Education

1,099,876

Teachers we could have paid

Housing

170,219

Homes we could have built

Healthcare

8,410,823

People we could have insured

By the Numbers

Day 76 of the conflict

Average cost per day$940,684,211
Average cost per hour$39,195,175
Average cost per minute$653,253

Spending by category

Munitions10%
$7,300,000,000
Operations89%
$63,833,000,000
Other1%
$359,000,000

The Opportunity Cost

What this money could have built instead

See what your state could have had instead

In the United States, $71,492,000,000 could have funded:

Education

Teacher Salaries (1 year)

@ $65,000 each

1,099,876

New School Buildings

@ $35,000,000 each

2,042

Free School Lunches (1 year)

@ $1,500 each

47,661,333

Student Textbook Sets

@ $250 each

285,968,000

Laptops for Students

@ $300 each

238,306,666

Full Pell Grants (1 year)

@ $7,395 each

9,667,613

School Counselor Salaries (1 year)

@ $60,000 each

1,191,533

New School Buses

@ $120,000 each

595,766

Housing

Median-Priced Homes

@ $420,000 each

170,219

Public Housing Units

@ $250,000 each

285,968

Section 8 Vouchers (1 year)

@ $12,000 each

5,957,666

Homeless Shelter Beds (1 year)

@ $25,000 each

2,859,680

Healthcare

People Insured (1 year)

@ $8,500 each

8,410,823

Nurse Salaries (1 year)

@ $85,000 each

841,082

Hospital Beds

@ $1,500,000 each

47,661

Mental Health Counselors (1 year)

@ $55,000 each

1,299,854

The Ledger

Day-by-day military expenditures

Tue, May 12, 2026$891,400,000

Day 74 — ongoing operations

13,713 teacher salaries

$891,400,000

source
Mon, May 11, 2026$891,400,000

Day 73 — ongoing operations

13,713 teacher salaries

$891,400,000

source
Sun, May 10, 2026$891,400,000

Day 72 — ongoing operations

13,713 teacher salaries

$891,400,000

source
Sat, May 9, 2026$891,400,000

Day 71 — ongoing operations

13,713 teacher salaries

$891,400,000

source
Fri, May 8, 2026$891,400,000

Day 70 — ongoing operations

13,713 teacher salaries

$891,400,000

source
Thu, May 7, 2026$891,400,000

Day 69 — ongoing operations

13,713 teacher salaries

$891,400,000

source
Wed, May 6, 2026$891,400,000

Day 68 — ongoing operations

13,713 teacher salaries

$891,400,000

source
Tue, May 5, 2026$891,400,000

Day 67 — ongoing operations

13,713 teacher salaries

$891,400,000

source
Mon, May 4, 2026$891,400,000

Day 66 — ongoing operations

13,713 teacher salaries

$891,400,000

source
Sun, May 3, 2026$891,400,000

Day 65 — ongoing operations

13,713 teacher salaries

$891,400,000

source
Sat, May 2, 2026$891,400,000

Day 64 — ongoing operations

13,713 teacher salaries

$891,400,000

source
Fri, May 1, 2026$891,400,000

Day 63 — ongoing operations

13,713 teacher salaries

$891,400,000

source
Thu, April 30, 2026$891,400,000

Day 62 — ongoing operations

13,713 teacher salaries

$891,400,000

source
Wed, April 29, 2026$891,400,000

Day 61 — ongoing operations

13,713 teacher salaries

$891,400,000

source
Tue, April 28, 2026$891,400,000

Day 60 — ongoing operations

13,713 teacher salaries

$891,400,000

source
Mon, April 27, 2026$891,400,000

Day 59 — ongoing operations

13,713 teacher salaries

$891,400,000

source
Sun, April 26, 2026$891,400,000

Day 58 — ongoing operations

13,713 teacher salaries

$891,400,000

source
Sat, April 25, 2026$891,400,000

Day 57 — ongoing operations

13,713 teacher salaries

$891,400,000

source
Fri, April 24, 2026$891,400,000

Day 56 — ongoing operations

13,713 teacher salaries

$891,400,000

source
Thu, April 23, 2026$891,400,000

Day 55 — ongoing operations

13,713 teacher salaries

$891,400,000

source
Wed, April 22, 2026$891,400,000

Day 54 — ongoing operations

13,713 teacher salaries

$891,400,000

source
Tue, April 21, 2026$891,400,000

Day 53 — ongoing operations

13,713 teacher salaries

$891,400,000

source
Mon, April 20, 2026$891,400,000

Day 52 — ongoing operations

13,713 teacher salaries

$891,400,000

source
Sun, April 19, 2026$891,400,000

Day 51 — ongoing operations

13,713 teacher salaries

$891,400,000

source
Sat, April 18, 2026$891,400,000

Day 50 — ongoing operations

13,713 teacher salaries

$891,400,000

source
Fri, April 17, 2026$891,400,000

Day 49 — ongoing operations

13,713 teacher salaries

$891,400,000

source
Thu, April 16, 2026$891,400,000

Day 48 — ongoing operations

13,713 teacher salaries

$891,400,000

source
Wed, April 15, 2026$891,400,000

Day 47 — ongoing operations

13,713 teacher salaries

$891,400,000

source
Tue, April 14, 2026$891,400,000

Day 46 — ongoing operations

13,713 teacher salaries

$891,400,000

source
Mon, April 13, 2026$891,400,000

Day 45 — ongoing operations

13,713 teacher salaries

$891,400,000

source
Sun, April 12, 2026$891,400,000

Day 44 — ongoing operations

13,713 teacher salaries

$891,400,000

source
Sat, April 11, 2026$891,400,000

Day 43 — ongoing operations

13,713 teacher salaries

$891,400,000

source
Fri, April 10, 2026$891,400,000

Day 42 — ongoing operations

13,713 teacher salaries

$891,400,000

source
Thu, April 9, 2026$891,400,000

Day 41 — ongoing operations

13,713 teacher salaries

$891,400,000

source
Wed, April 8, 2026$891,400,000

Day 40 — ongoing operations

13,713 teacher salaries

$891,400,000

source
Tue, April 7, 2026$891,400,000

Day 39 — ongoing operations

13,713 teacher salaries

$891,400,000

source
Mon, April 6, 2026$891,400,000

Day 38 — ongoing operations

13,713 teacher salaries

$891,400,000

source
Sun, April 5, 2026$891,400,000

Day 37 — ongoing operations

13,713 teacher salaries

$891,400,000

source
Sat, April 4, 2026$891,400,000

Day 36 — ongoing operations

13,713 teacher salaries

$891,400,000

source
Fri, April 3, 2026$891,400,000

Day 35 — ongoing operations

13,713 teacher salaries

$891,400,000

source
Thu, April 2, 2026$891,400,000

Day 34 — ongoing operations

13,713 teacher salaries

$891,400,000

source
Wed, April 1, 2026$891,400,000

Day 33 — ongoing operations

13,713 teacher salaries

$891,400,000

source
Tue, March 31, 2026$891,400,000

Day 32 — ongoing operations

13,713 teacher salaries

$891,400,000

source
Mon, March 30, 2026$891,400,000

Day 31 — ongoing operations

13,713 teacher salaries

$891,400,000

source
Sun, March 29, 2026$891,400,000

Day 30 — ongoing operations

13,713 teacher salaries

$891,400,000

source
Sat, March 28, 2026$891,400,000

Day 29 — ongoing operations

13,713 teacher salaries

$891,400,000

source
Fri, March 27, 2026$891,400,000

Day 28 — ongoing operations

13,713 teacher salaries

$891,400,000

source
Thu, March 26, 2026$891,400,000

Day 27 — ongoing operations

13,713 teacher salaries

$891,400,000

source
Wed, March 25, 2026$891,400,000

Day 26 — ongoing operations

13,713 teacher salaries

$891,400,000

source
Tue, March 24, 2026$891,400,000

Day 25 — ongoing operations

13,713 teacher salaries

$891,400,000

source