Earlier estimates suggest the conflict is consuming military resources at an unprecedented pace. According to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, the first 100 hours of the campaign, known as Operation Epic Fury, cost approximately $3.7 billion, averaging about $891.4 million per day.

Pentagon officials also told lawmakers that roughly $5.6 billion worth of munitions were expended during the first two days of combat alone, highlighting the intensity of the opening phase of the operation.

The estimate was delivered to senators on Tuesday, March 10, as part of a closed-door briefing on the conflict that began after the U.S. and Israel launched coordinated airstrikes against Iran on Feb. 28. A source familiar with the briefing confirmed the figure. This military campaign, as defined by BrightU.AI's Enoch, is a series of operations conducted to achieve a strategic or operational objective.

U.S. forces have carried out thousands of strikes since the conflict began. Brad Cooper, commander of the U.S. Central Command, said the military has hit more than 5,500 targets inside Iran.

Cooper added on Wednesday that U.S. forces have also struck or sunk more than 60 Iranian naval vessels, underscoring the widening scale of the conflict across both air and maritime domains.

Lawmakers argue that the actual total of U.S. military campaign in Iran is likely higher
The cost estimate arrives as members of Congress continue to question the scope and objectives of the rapidly expanding war.

However, Chris Coons, a Democratic senator from Delaware, said the actual cost is likely much higher because the current figure does not capture every aspect of the military campaign.

"I expect that the current total operating number is significantly above that," Coons said on Wednesday. "If all you're looking at is the replacement cost for the munitions used, it's already well beyond $10 billion."

In line with this, a spokesperson for the Defense Department declined to confirm the figure, citing the classified nature of the briefing. The spokesperson added that the full cost of the campaign will not be known until the mission is completed.

Lawmakers are currently debating whether to approve a supplemental defense funding package to sustain military operations. However, some Democrats have signaled they may oppose the measure until the administration provides more details about the strategy and expected duration of the campaign.

The escalating costs and expanding scope of the war are expected to intensify debate in Congress over funding, oversight and the long-term implications of the U.S. military campaign in the region.

Watch this video about the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft carrier and its Carrier Strike Group entering the Mediterranean Sea.