Iranian specialists peg Operation Epic Fury losses at $280 billion

During a briefing hosted by the University of Tehran’s Faculty of Urban Planning, construction expert Hossein Nouhi disclosed that Operation Epic Fury’s initial 40-day assault inflicted $280 billion in direct economic losses, a tally that omits later operations and the ongoing naval blockade. The calculation reflects only immediate damage, leaving out the expense of reviving industrial output and non-material harms such as psychological trauma.

Tehran municipality figures confirmed 650 strikes on the capital, with District 4 suffering 90 hits, heavily impacting the Lavizan area that houses the Aerospace Industries Organization and suspected nuclear facilities. Other heavily hit districts included 21 and 22, home to IRGC housing and aerospace command centers, while District 17 saw minimal strikes. The attacks damaged or destroyed nearly 51,000 housing units, with over 2,000 completely razed.

Western estimates had ranged up to $300 billion, but Iranian authorities contend the real cost, including inflation, reconstruction financing, and loss of human capital, runs into the hundreds of billions. Economists warn that rebuilding will require roughly $500 billion, far beyond domestic capacity.