- By Nidhi Giri
- Tue, 03 Mar 2026 02:22 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
US-Iran War: On Saturday, the United States and Israel jointly launched airstrikes on Iran, escalating the long-standing conflict between the two countries. Iran has since then launched retaliatory strikes across the Middle East, including on countries having US military bases. Amid this, US President Donald Trump has indicated that the conflict could last 4-5 weeks.
Since Saturday, almost 1,250 targets have been struck in Iran, as per US military. Central Command (CENTCOM) separately said 11 Iranian ships had been destroyed. Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed when his Tehran compound was heavily damaged in the first round of attacks.
What Price Is America Paying For War In West Asia?
Trump said on Monday that the war would continue for as long as necessary, and could drag on for several weeks. According to the Iranian Red Crescent, as of Monday, 555 people had been killed in 130 areas of Iran. Since 2023, the United States has provided USD 21.7 billion in military aid to Israel and the Middle East.
According to Brown University's 2025 "Costs of War" report, the United States has provided USD 21.7 billion in military aid to Israel since October 7, 2023. Additionally, US operations in Yemen, Iran, and throughout the Middle East have cost between USD 9.65 and USD 12.07 billion. Overall, US conflict-related spending has reached USD 31.35 and USD 33.77 billion and is still growing.
Cost Of Operation Epic Fury
The total cost of the war against Iran is difficult to estimate accurately. According to reports from the Anadolu News Agency, the US spent approximately USD 779 million in the first 24 hours of Operation Epic Fury.
What Did US Use During Operation Epic Fury
The United States used multiple deadly weapons during Operation Epic Fury against Iran on Saturday. The strikes targeted Iranian military infrastructure, including missile facilities, naval bases, and the office of Ali Khamenei. The Pentagon used artificial intelligence services from Anthropic, including its Claude tools, during its attack on Iran, Reuters reported on Sunday citing a source familiar with the situation.
As per the report, the US also brought in B-2 stealth bombers to strike at hardened, underground Iranian missile facilities with 2,000-pound bombs. The same bombers were used in June 2025 to carry out strikes in Iran.
Reuters mentioned that the US military said it used suicide drones that appear identical, based on photos released by the Pentagon, to the new LUCAS (Low-Cost Unmanned Combat Attack System) manufactured by Phoenix, Arizona-based Spektreworks, however, the company did not respond to requests for comment.
CENTCOM deployed one-way attack drones patterned after Iran’s Shahed drones, according to a statement from the Pentagon.
Meanwhile, US Central Command published images and video clips highlighting the role of F/A-18 and F-35 fighter jets in carrying out the strikes targeting sites in Iran.