Weeks-long US military action in Iran could exceed cost of year in Iraq — Newsweek

A few weeks of US military operations in Iran could cost more than a year of the Iraq invasion, Newsweek reports.

According to the outlet, $200 billion would cover only a few weeks of air operations as well as replenishing military stockpiles.

This figure already exceeds US expenditures “at the height” of the Iraq invasion, when roughly 170,000 troops were deployed there.

“From Trump to Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, White House officials have offered shifting explanations for the campaign. Early statements focused on destroying Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities. Within days, the targets expanded to Iran's navy. Then came talk of severing proxy networks across the region. By the second week, officials were discussing strikes on Iranian oil infrastructure,” the report added.

On March 19, Hegseth explained the difference in the press conference, stating that most of the $200 billion is not the cost of the war but the cost of building US military capability.

By Jeyhun Aghazada