US SPENT ABOUT US$6 BLN IN FIRST WEEK OF IRAN WAR -- REPORTS

ISTANBUL, March 8 (Bernama-Anadolu) -- The first week of the United States (US) military campaign against Iran has cost roughly US$6 billion, Pentagon officials told Congress, Anadolu Ajansi (AA) reported.

According to New York Times, about US$4 billion of that total alone was spent on munitions expenditures and advanced interceptors designed to shoot down Iranian missiles.

The figures were disclosed during discussions in Congress this week, where senior defence officials also indicated that further funding will be required to sustain operations and replenish depleted stockpiles.

According to the American daily, about 4,000 Iranian targets have been struck, including missile launchers, naval vessels and air defences, significantly eroding Tehran’s ability to retaliate.

Head of US Central Command (CENTCOM) Adm. Brad Cooper said Iran’s ballistic missile launches have dropped 90 per cent since the first day of fighting, while drone attacks are down 83 per cent.

Yet the country retains a formidable weapons arsenal, including an estimated 50 per cent of its missile programme.

Lawmakers are bracing for a supplemental budget request from the administration in the coming weeks.

The rapid expenditure has drawn scrutiny from both sides of the political aisle.

Critics argued that costly interceptors, some worth millions of dollars each, are being consumed at rates that could strain the US defence industrial base and leave shortfalls in other strategic theaters.

The war erupted with joint US and Israeli strikes against Iranian military targets, but the conflict has since widened across the Middle East, with Iran retaliating via ballistic missiles and drone barrages that require expensive defensive responses.

As debates over war funding intensify in Washington, Pentagon officials emphasised the need to maintain momentum against Iranian capabilities while balancing long‑term national defence priorities.

Tensions in the Middle East have escalated since the US and Israel launched a large-scale attack on Iran on Feb 28, killing more than 1,200 people, including Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, over 150 schoolgirls, and senior military officials.

Iran has retaliated with sweeping barrages of its own that have targeted US bases, diplomatic facilities, and military personnel across the region, as well as multiple Israeli cities.

-- BERNAMA-ANADOLU