The following tables record documented costs and returns for Iran, Iraq, Libya, and Post-911 wars in oil-producing countries.
All monetary figures in the tables below are expressed in constant 2024 U.S. dollars unless otherwise noted. Historical dollar amounts were adjusted using the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index (CPI) Inflation Calculator. https://www.bls.gov/data/inflation_calculator.htm
Iran (1953)
| Line Item | Costs | Returns |
|---|---|---|
| Direct U.S. War Spending | $11 million | — |
| U.S. Revenue | — | $0 |
| Additional U.S. Supply | — | None |
| American Military Deaths | 0 | — |
| American Military Injuries | 0 | — |
| Civilian Deaths (Iran) | 200–300 estimated | — |
| Civilian Injuries (Iran) | Unknown | — |
| Infrastructure Damage (Iran) | Limited urban damage in Tehran | — |
| Oil Production Infrastructure Damage | None | — |
Net Ledger Summary: U.S. spending: $11 million. U.S. revenue: $0. Additional supply: none.
Iraq (2003)
| Line Item | Costs | Returns |
|---|---|---|
| Direct U.S. War Spending | $1.1 trillion through 2011 | — |
| U.S. Revenue | — | $0 |
| U.S. Consumer Oil Benefit | — | None documented |
| American Military Deaths | 4,491 | — |
| American Military Injuries | 32,222 wounded in action | — |
| Civilian Deaths (Iraq) | 184,000–207,000 | — |
| Civilian Injuries (Iraq) | Unknown | — |
| Infrastructure Damage (Iraq) | 40% water treatment destroyed; 80% electricity capacity offline; reconstruction $76–135 billion | — |
| Oil Production Infrastructure Damage | 2.6 M bpd (2002) → 1.3 M bpd (2003); pre-war levels not reached until 2012 | — |
Net Ledger Summary: U.S. spending: $1.1 trillion. U.S. revenue: $0. Additional supply: none.
Libya (2011)
| Line Item | Costs | Returns |
|---|---|---|
| Direct U.S. War Spending | $1.5 billion through Oct 2011 | — |
| U.S. Revenue | — | $0 |
| U.S. Consumer Oil Benefit | — | None documented |
| American Military Deaths | 0 | — |
| American Military Injuries | 0 | — |
| Civilian Deaths (Libya) | 2,000–25,000 estimated range | — |
| Civilian Injuries (Libya) | Unknown | — |
| Infrastructure Damage (Libya) | 5,900+ military targets struck | — |
| Oil Production Infrastructure Damage | 1.6 M bpd → near zero during fighting | — |
Net Ledger Summary: U.S. spending: $1.5 billion. U.S. revenue: $0. Additional supply: none.
Post-9/11 Wars (Aggregate)
| Line Item | Costs | Returns |
|---|---|---|
| Direct U.S. War Spending | $2.9 trillion through FY 2022 | — |
| U.S. Revenue | — | $0 |
| U.S. Consumer Oil Benefit | — | None documented |
| American Military Deaths | 7,057 across theaters | — |
| American Military Injuries | 53,318 wounded in action | — |
| Civilian Deaths (Host Countries) | 363,000–387,000 (Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Pakistan) | — |
| Civilian Injuries (Host Countries) | Unknown | — |
| Infrastructure Damage | Syria $226 billion; Afghanistan 70% lacked clean water by 2021 | — |
| Oil Production Infrastructure Damage | Iraq/Syria production collapsed as documented | — |
Net Ledger Summary: U.S. spending: $2.9 trillion. U.S. revenue: $0. Additional supply: none.
Sources for this article are collected in the Bibliography and Methodology.
Executive Summary — Purpose and findings
https://dittany.com/executive-summary-regime-change-wars/
II. Scope, Definitions, and Accounting Rules
https://dittany.com/ii-scope-definitions-accounting-rules/
III. Promised and Implied: What Would Have Counted
https://dittany.com/iii-the-promise-stated-and-implied/
IV. Case Studies – this page
V. Long-Term Costs
https://dittany.com/v-long-term-costs/
VI. Opportunity Costs
https://dittany.com/vi-opportunity-costs/
VII. Distribution of Benefits
https://dittany.com/vii-distribution-of-benefits/
VIII. Why the Pattern Repeats
https://dittany.com/viii-why-the-pattern-repeats/
IX. The Public Ledger
https://dittany.com/ix-the-public-ledger/
Bibliography — Sources and Methodology
https://dittany.com/bibliograhy-the-public-ledger/