Jeff Colgan, director of the Climate Solutions Lab, authored a new Costs of War report finding that the financial toll of the Iran war extends well beyond military spending. The report calculates that higher fuel costs to consumers since the start of the war have surpassed $40 billion — more than $300 per household — on top of the Pentagon's estimated $29 billion in direct military expenditures. To put that figure in context, $40 billion could fund the entire federal Bridge Investment Program to repair more than 10,200 bridges nationwide, exceeds the estimated $31.5 billion cost of overhauling the U.S. air traffic control system, and is twice the $18.9 billion proposed for federal electric vehicle charging programs under the Biden administration.
Date
May 18, 2026
The U.S. Energy Cost of the Iran War
A new Costs of War report by Jeff Colgan finds that higher fuel costs from the Iran war have topped $40 billion.