The Nation / April 3, 2026
“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
