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Wars in Iraq, Afghanistan Have Cost US Almost $5 Trillion
Almost 7,000 U.S. troops have been killed since the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq began, and about 210,000 civilians in those two countries and Pakistan have lost their lives as a result of the fighting, according to Brown University’s Watson Institute. In addition, nearly 7,000 contractors working for the U.S. and its allies have died. In all, roughly 370,000 people have died as a direct result of the fighting.
The number of dead does not include the maimed, the wounded and the soldiers suffering from the psychological aftermath with post-traumatic stress disorder.
In a new update on the devastating economic cost, the Watson Institute’s Costs of War Project says the U.S. has spent or is on the hook for $4.8 trillion and could wind up paying out almost $8 trillion when the final accounting is done.
The $4.8 trillion includes “direct congressional war appropriations; war-related increases to the Pentagon base budget; veterans care and disability; increases in the homeland security budget; interest payments on direct war borrowing; foreign assistance spending; and estimated future obligations for veterans’ care.
“This total omits many other expenses, such as the macroeconomic costs to the US economy; the opportunity costs of not investing war dollars in alternative sectors; future interest on war borrowing; and local government and private war costs,” the institute says.
Because the wars have been funded “almost entirely by borrowing,” the institute says, America’s budget deficit and national debt have increased, which in turn pushes up consumer interest rates.
“Unless the U.S. immediately repays the money borrowed for war, there will also be future interest payments,” the institute says. “We estimate that interest payments could total over $7.9 trillion by 2053.”
The Ministry of Education reported the tragic losses, highlighting the impact of strikes on civilians and students in the region.
Education Ministry spokesman Mansoor Ahmad Hamza also said that a student at a religious seminary was injured in Barmal district of Paktika province, another area affected by the Pakistani military attacks over the weekend.
Dozens of civilians have reportedly been killed or injured in the airstrikes, which Afghan authorities say targeted residential homes and community areas in both Nangarhar and Paktika provinces.
Local sources describe scenes of devastation, with families searching through rubble and emergency personnel rushing to rescue trapped individuals.
Afghanistan’s Ministry of National Defense condemned the strikes, saying they constitute a violation of Afghan sovereignty and have caused significant civilian harm.
Officials reiterated that Afghan territory must not be used for attacks against other countries and called for restraint and dialogue to prevent further escalation.
The strikes come amid ongoing tensions along the disputed Durand Line between Afghanistan and Pakistan, where security concerns and accusations of militancy have frequently strained relations between Kabul and Islamabad. Analysts note that repeated civilian casualties risk further inflaming regional tensions and complicating diplomatic efforts to reduce violence along the frontier.
The Russian Foreign Ministry has estimated that around 20,000 to 23,000 fighters from various international terrorist groups are present in Afghanistan, contributing to ongoing security and political challenges in the country.
The ministry noted that over half of these fighters are foreign nationals.
Among the larger groups, Daesh is believed to number around 3,000, the Tehreek‑e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) 5,000–7,000, and al Qaeda 400–1,500.
Smaller groups reportedly include the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM), the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU/Turkestan Islamic Party), and Jamaat Ansarullah.
According to the ministry, Daesh remains the only group actively hostile toward the Afghan authorities, though it reportedly lacks the capacity to seize territory, focusing instead on undermining public confidence.
Afghan security efforts over the past 18 months are credited with significantly reducing attacks attributed to Daesh.
The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has consistently maintained that it will not allow Afghan soil to be used against any other country and continues to deny the presence of armed groups operating freely within the country.
Afghanistan’s acting representative to the United Nations has formally raised concerns at the UN Security Council following overnight airstrikes this week it says were carried out by Pakistan inside Afghan territory.
Nasir Ahmad Faiq, acting chargé d’affaires of Afghanistan’s mission to the UN, announced on Monday that a formal complaint had been submitted regarding the strikes, which reportedly resulted in civilian casualties.
In a statement posted on X, Faiq called for “the immediate cessation of such actions, a thorough and impartial review, full respect for Afghanistan’s territorial integrity, and strict adherence to the Charter of the United Nations and international law.”
According to Afghan officials, the strikes took place late Saturday night in eastern Nangarhar and south-eastern Paktika provinces.
Authorities say dozens of civilians, including women and children, were killed or wounded when residential areas were hit.
Islamabad has previously maintained that it reserves the right to act against militant groups it says operate near or along the disputed Durand Line. Afghan officials, however, have consistently rejected allegations that Afghan territory is being used to launch attacks against Pakistan.
The latest incident comes amid heightened tensions between Kabul and Islamabad over security concerns and cross-Durand Line militancy, further complicating already fragile bilateral relations.
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