Pentagon Reports $11 Billion Expenditure as Operation Epic Fury Targets Over 5,500 Iranian Strategic Sites

U.S. military spending hits $11.3 billion in six days of Operation Epic Fury. Details on the death of Khamenei and the high cost of precision munitions in Iran.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 12, 2026, 5:45 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from Militarnyi

Fiscal Surge in the Opening Phase of Conflict

The initial week of the military campaign against Iran has resulted in a staggering $11.3 billion expenditure for the United States, a figure disclosed by Trump administration officials during a classified briefing for the Senate. According to reports from The New York Times, this multi-billion dollar sum covers the immediate operational costs of the first six days but excludes the massive logistical expenses associated with the prior buildup of hardware and personnel. Lawmakers in Washington have signaled that the final accounting is expected to climb significantly as the Pentagon integrates the total cost of maintaining a sustained theater of war. The rapid depletion of high-tier munitions reserves during the opening volleys has made this one of the most expensive aerial campaigns in recent military history.

The High Price of Precision Munitions

A substantial portion of the initial financial outlay is attributed to the use of advanced, high-cost weaponry during the first 48 hours of the engagement. Department of Defense officials informed lawmakers that approximately $5.6 billion worth of munitions were deployed in the opening two days alone. According to media analysis of the strike packages, the U.S. Navy and Air Force utilized AGM-154 Joint Standoff Weapons (JSOW), which carry a price tag of up to $836,000 per unit, alongside modified Tomahawk cruise missiles and sophisticated air defense interceptors. To manage the long-term fiscal impact, the U.S. Central Command has indicated a strategic shift toward utilizing more cost-effective weapon systems as the operation transitions from primary suppression to secondary target neutralization.

Decapitation Strike and the Death of Khamenei

The geopolitical landscape of the Middle East was fundamentally altered in the opening hours of the joint U.S.-Israeli operation when a precision airstrike in Tehran reportedly killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The Supreme Leader, who had held absolute power in Iran for 37 years, was eliminated in a move designed to collapse the regime's command and control hierarchy. According to the U.S. Department of Defense, the elimination of the primary leadership figure was a cornerstone of the initial phase of Operation Epic Fury. This development has triggered a volatile power vacuum within the Islamic Republic, complicating the milita...