U.S. War on Terror Approaches $10 Trillion Mark After Two Decades of Conflict
A new analysis shows that U.S. spending on the post-9/11 wars is nearing $10 trillion, with $8 trillion already incurred in Iraq and Afghanistan and additional costs from recent Middle-East operations.
Federal data analyzed by Brown University’s Watson School indicates that U.S. spending on the post-9/11 wars has climbed to just under $10 trillion, with $8 trillion already allocated to Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria and related operations. The breakdown shows $5.8 trillion in direct appropriations and at least $2.2 trillion earmarked for long-term veteran care, while the Department of Defense, State Department, Homeland Security and other agencies contributed billions more.
Afghanistan alone cost over $2 trillion, and combined Iraq-Syria efforts exceeded $5 trillion, a figure a Harvard Kennedy School analysis pushes to $5 trillion for Iraq alone. Since the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attack, the United States has spent nearly $34 billion on military aid to Israel and operations in Yemen, and the emerging U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran is costing roughly $2 billion per day, according to a Harvard estimate.
Interest payments on the debt incurred by these wars are expected to top $2 trillion by 2030, matching the original overseas contingency outlays. Additional funding requests, including an $87.6 billion proposal from OMB director Russell Vought, underscore the ongoing fiscal burden, while public opinion polls show about 60 % of Americans oppose further military action in Iran.
Why it matters
The near-$10 trillion price tag highlights the long-term fiscal strain of U.S. military engagements on taxpayers and future budgets.
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