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Cost of US Airstrikes on Iran (June 2025)
Summary of the Operation
The US airstrikes on Iran this week, codenamed "Operation Midnight Hammer," targeted three major Iranian nuclear sites: Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. The operation involved seven B-2 stealth bombers, which deployed 14 bunker-buster bombs, and a submarine that launched over two dozen Tomahawk missiles. In total, about 125 US aircraft were involved, including bombers, fighters, tankers, and support planes.
Estimated Direct Costs
According to detailed breakdowns and defense analysts:
Munitions:
14 GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator bombs at $5 million each: $70 million
30 Tomahawk missiles at $2 million each: $60 million
Flight Hours:
Seven B-2 bombers flew a 37-hour round trip at $170,000 per hour, totaling: $44 million
Total Direct Cost Estimate:
$174 million for the initial US airstrikes, covering munitions and bomber flight hours.
"Operation Midnight Hammer... estimated cost is $174 million, broken down as follows: 14 GBU-57 bombs at $5 million each ($70 million), 30 Tomahawk missiles at $2 million each ($60 million), and seven B-2 bombers flying a 37-hour mission at $170,000 per hour ($44 million). This figure excludes costs for support aircraft, personnel, and logistics, which could increase the total."
Additional Considerations
The $174 million estimate does not include costs for support aircraft, logistics, or personnel, which could raise the total further.
The operation was a single, high-profile strike rather than a sustained campaign, so ongoing costs remain limited unless the conflict escalates.
Broader US military expenditures in the region, including support to Israel and regional security postures, are much higher but not directly attributed to this specific strike.
Conclusion
The US airstrikes on Iran this week cost an estimated $174 million in direct operational expenses, primarily for munitions and bomber flight hours, with the total potentially higher when factoring in full support and logistics.
In other news...
New York Post reports White House officials are hunting the suspected “low-level paper pusher” who leaked a preliminary Pentagon intelligence assessment questioning the scale of destruction after Saturday’s US airstrikes on three Iranian nuclear sites — as the CIA released its own finding that the attacks set the theocracy’s nuke development back “years.”
The controversial Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) assessment, first reported Tuesday by CNN, stated with a low level of confidence that the US attacks may only have disrupted Iran’s progress toward an atomic weapon for a few months.
