The real cost of the war with Iran

Gas is pumped at a Costco store, Wednesday, April 8, 2026, in Niles, Ill. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)
April 13, 2026

LATEST NEWS

The real cost of the war with Iran

The U.S. has been spending up to $2 billion every day on the war with Iran. But that’s just military expenditure. What’s the real, long-term economic toll?

Guests

Justin Wolfers, economist. Professor of public policy and economics at the University of Michigan.

Linda Bilmes, Daniel Patrick Moynihan Senior Lecturer Chair in Public Policy and Public Finance at Harvard University’s Kennedy School.

The version of our broadcast available at the top of this page and via podcast apps is a condensed version of the full show. You can listen to the full, unedited broadcast here:

The first draft of this transcript was created by Descript, an AI transcription tool. An On Point producer then thoroughly reviewed, corrected, and reformatted the transcript before publication. The use of this AI tool creates the capacity to provide these transcripts.

This program aired on April 13, 2026.

Share this post:

POLL

Who Will Vote For?

Other

Republican

Democrat

RECENT NEWS

Angela Pike watches her fourth grade students at Lakewood Elementary School in Cecilia, Ky., as they use their laptops to participate in an emotional check-in at the start of the school day, Thursday, Aug. 11, 2022.  (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley)

The teachers pushing back on screens in schools

Crystalyne Curley, speaker of the Navajo Nation Council, in Window Rock, Ariz. (Peter O’Dowd/Here & Now)

‘It’s going to be chaos’: On rural Navajo Nation, tribal leaders slam voter-ID bill

Former Governor Mitt Romney speaks at a gathering in Faneuil Hall to celebrate 20 years of Massachusetts health care reform. (Robin Lubbock/WBUR)

Romney returns to Mass. 20 years after ‘Romneycare’ passage

Dynamic Country URL Go to Country Info Page