Here Are The Biggest Things America Could’ve Done With $11 Billion Spent In Iran War Week 1

Photo by Brendan SMIALOWSKI / AFP via Getty Images

The Iran War is costing the U.S. billions of dollars every week it drags on. Meanwhile, there are programs at home that desperately need the funding more.

In a closed-door briefing with Congress, the Trump administration said that the first week of the Iran war cost around $11.3 billion (as well as several heroic lives). The figure, which covers munitions and initial operations but excludes ongoing maintenance, personnel costs, and pre-war buildup, represents a significant outlay of taxpayer dollars directed toward overseas military engagement. While some argue this is a small price to pay to end the Iranian regime, the economic toll on Americans should not be ignored.

That $11 billion could support key domestic initiatives that enhance U.S. security, create jobs, and reduce reliance on foreign resources, thereby better fulfilling President Donald Trump’s 2024 voter mandate.

JUST IN: U.S. spent $5.3 BILLION on Iran War in just 6 days. ✅ $1 BILLION per day ✅ $41 MILLION per hour LIVE WAR COST TRACKER 👇 pic.twitter.com/hdWefJ8lRN — Sulaiman Ahmed (@ShaykhSulaiman) March 5, 2026

JUST IN: U.S. spent $5.3 BILLION on Iran War in just 6 days.

✅ $1 BILLION per day ✅ $41 MILLION per hour

LIVE WAR COST TRACKER 👇 pic.twitter.com/hdWefJ8lRN

— Sulaiman Ahmed (@ShaykhSulaiman) March 5, 2026

Increasing Domestic Energy Production

Domestic energy production is central to reducing U.S. dependence on foreign oil and stabilizing prices for American consumers. Diesel prices spiked to well over $5 per gallon in some areas amid the U.S. involvement in Iran. The current national average for regular gasoline is $3.63, up almost $1 from a month ago ($2.94), according to AAA data. (Sign up for Mary Rooke’s weekly newsletter here!)

Trump announced Tuesday that the U.S. would build the first large-scale greenfield refinery in Brownsville, Texas, in nearly 50 years.

The new refinery is projected to process up to 168,000 barrels per day (bpd) of crude oil, primarily U.S.-sourced shale. Its construction is expected to start as early as April 2026 and would be fully operational in about 3 to 5 years. The project could generate thousands of construction jobs, plus permanent positions after completion.

The project stands out because no major new refineries have been built in the U.S. for decades. It’s simply been too expensive to invest in refineries while also dealing with regulatory burdens and environmental opposition from so-called clean-energy activists. The Brownsville plan leverages the U.S. shale boom and the Trump administration’s pro-energy policies to revive such developments.

The America First Refining project, when completed, will become the first new oil refinery in the United States in nearly 50 years.https://t.co/u5qKOkGjxO — The Washington Times (@WashTimes) March 12, 2026

The America First Refining project, when completed, will become the first new oil refinery in the United States in nearly 50 years.https://t.co/u5qKOkGjxO

— The Washington Times (@WashTimes) March 12, 2026

It will come at a cost. Actual construction costs are estimated at $3 billion to $4 billion. As part of the deal, India’s largest private-sector company and operator of the world’s biggest refining complex, Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), is committing a nine-figure capital investment for construction. In return, RIL will receive a 20-year offtake agreement to purchase at least 80 percent of the refinery’s output.

Trump touted the project as a way to reduce the national deficit by $300 billion over its lifespan through exports of refined fuels to India. It would also foster stronger U.S.-India economic ties by diversifying India’s supply chain away from Middle Eastern sources.

With $11 billion, the U.S. could replicate or expand refinery projects like the one in Brownsville, promoting energy security and job creation. By prioritizing domestic production, Americans wouldn’t have to shoulder the burden of global disruptions like those caused by the Iran war.

Modernizing Critical U.S. Infrastructure

It doesn’t take expert knowledge to see that the U.S. is in desperate need of an infrastructure overhaul. One simply needs to drive on major highways, travel through a U.S. airport, or suffer through rolling blackouts when our electrical grid is under pressure.

The U.S. earned a cumulative “C” grade from the 2025 Infrastructure Report Card produced by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). While this is the highest overall grade since the series began in 1998, up from a C- in 2021, it highlights that U.S. infrastructure remains mediocre and faces ongoing challenges.

The electrical grid, categorized as “energy” on the report card, received a “D” grade in 2025, down from the C- in the 2021 report. The decline reflects concerns over surging demand, largely driven by growth in data centers, electric vehicles, and AI. The U.S. grid faces capacity constraints and aging transmission infrastructure, compounded by insufficient investment relative to projected demand.

“The U.S. currently faces a shortage of distribution transformers owing to supply chain bottlenecks and few domestic manufacturers to choose from. Distribution transformer capacity will need to rise 160%–250% by 2050 to meet anticipated needs, but inventory backlogs threaten the ability to meet current or future demands,” according to ASCE.

The report found that 70 percent of transformers are 25 years or older, 60 percent of circuit breakers are 30 years or older, and 70 percent of transmission lines are 25 years or older. Still, modernization projects, such as enhancing transmission lines, can cost billions. Despite some regions freezing or slowing rate increases to promote affordability, the cost of updating the grid will eventually be passed on to consumers and businesses.

Some estimates suggest that $2 trillion will be needed by 2030 for full modernization. A $11 billion investment could fund major initiatives, like upgrading substation equipment ($6.1 billion spent in 2023) or underground lines ($11.8 billion).

Similarly, America’s roads and bridges are critical for commerce and daily life, yet face a $105 billion deferred maintenance backlog. The ASCE report card gave U.S. roads a “D+” grade and bridges a “C.”

While the Biden administration passed the 2021 $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), Transportation for America (TFA) argued that it allocated “very little new funding … specifically dedicated to repair and no new requirements on highway monies for prioritizing repair on roads and bridges.”

The organization said if anything, the IIJA “doubled down” on the practice that gave states little oversight for how to spend the money, which it blames for high-profile bridge collapses in Minneapolis, the Pacific Northwest, Miami, Washington, D.C., and Pittsburgh.

“These collapses all happened for a plethora of overlapping reasons related to engineering, age of infrastructure, design flaws, ineffective inspection systems, and others, but they are also the by-product of our overall reactive vs. proactive approach to repair and our failure to require repair ahead of building new,” TFA stated.

Trump, slurring, claims President Biden’s historic $1 trillion infrastructure investments across the country are “fake” and “horrible” pic.twitter.com/6mRXgqzSf3 — Headquarters (@HQNewsNow) May 1, 2024

Trump, slurring, claims President Biden’s historic $1 trillion infrastructure investments across the country are “fake” and “horrible” pic.twitter.com/6mRXgqzSf3

— Headquarters (@HQNewsNow) May 1, 2024

The Trump administration has allocated and disbursed billions of dollars for repairing roads and bridges since 2025.

In May 2025, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy announced over $1.5 billion in Emergency Relief (ER) funding from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to repair roads and bridges damaged by natural disasters. The administration also announced $982 million in funding through the Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) program for 521 projects across the U.S. In June 2025, FHWA announced nearly $4.9 billion in funding for major bridge projects under programs like the Bridge Investment Program and the Competitive Highway Bridge Program, aimed at upgrading approximately 42,000 bridges.

Additionally, Trump signed the appropriations funding in February, increasing FHWA funding from $1.9 billion in 2025 to $64.3 billion for the fiscal year 20206. It also included $1.5 billion in congressional earmarks for local projects like bridges and safety improvements.

The ASCE report card gave U.S. airport infrastructure a “D+” grade, citing significant repairs needed to upgrade runways, terminals, and control towers. U.S. airports face a $139.6 billion infrastructure investment shortfall through 2029, according to Airport Council International. Allocating $11 billion could replace multiple bridges or upgrade highways, improving freight efficiency and reducing vehicle costs.

Modernizing The Nuclear Arsenal

Maintaining U.S. nuclear deterrence, which is vital to national security, requires ongoing investment. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that the total costs to operate, sustain, and modernize U.S. nuclear forces from 2025 to 2034 would reach $946 billion, averaging about $95 billion per year.

An annual $11 billion investment would represent roughly 11.6 percent of the yearly average cost and could meaningfully advance key programs. This investment would accelerate engineering, testing, silo upgrades, or guidance-system production to keep the Sentinel ICBM program on track and preserve credible land-based deterrence. Similarly, this funding could support advanced procurement of multiple hulls, critical components, or industrial base improvements to address delays in the construction of Columbia-class ballistic missile submarines. (RELATED: Trump Allies Beckon President On Deportations As Admin Seems To Back Off)

Americans are already suffering under the weight of the economic burdens caused by the Biden administration. Our infrastructure is crumbling under our feet as the military-industrial complex receives billions that should be spent on securing energy production and modernizing roads, bridges, and airports. With an ever-ballooning U.S. budget, prioritizing Americans is the only option.

Follow Mary Rooke on X: @MaryRooke

Sign up for Mary Rooke’s weekly newsletter here!

© The Daily Caller