The effects of the U.S. bombing of Iran are still being determined, both in terms of immediate damage to the nuclear sites and the potential for greater war and instability. So far, analysis by the Defense Intelligence Agency has concluded that the operation may have only set back Iran’s nuclear program by a number of months.
One thing we can already calculate, however, is the bill that U.S. taxpayers had to pay for this single high-stakes attack. Although President Trump was the one making the decision to drop these bombs, we are the ones paying for it.
Operation “Midnight Hammer” included the use of 14 “bunker buster” bombs, estimated to cost $3.5 million each. The seven B-2 bombers that carried these weapons cost $150,000 per hour each to fly, for a total estimate of $39 million to fly to Iran and back. Including the $16 million mid-air refueling cost of these bombers, the $60 million price tag of the 25 cruise missiles fired from U.S. submarines, and additional weapons used in the attack, taxpayers are looking at a total bill of at least $200 million for this one mission.
This expenditure comes at a time when the Trump administration claims to be on a massive campaign to rein in government spending. The Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, has been ruthless in cutting investments in science research, public health, and education. In the face of slashed budgets for these essential services, the unilateral decision by the president to spend $200 million on bombs that will literally go up in smoke is even more absurd.
In addition to the financial cost, of course, is the cost in human lives risked by choosing to escalate this war. The reckless bombing of sites containing nuclear material needlessly endangers surrounding people and the environment.
The U.S. workers who paid for this costly military endeavor through their taxes had no say in where their money went. At a time when many are struggling to get by and are experiencing devastating cuts to public services in the name of saving money, no one wants to see hundreds of millions of their tax dollars blown up in another country. Resources should go towards building society up, rather than violence, destruction, and increased instability throughout the world.
No money for war!
