U.S. Media Reveals True Cost of the Iraq War Exceeds Hundreds of Billions of Dollars

Xinhua News Agency, Washington, July 15 - According to a report by NBC News, the actual spending by the United States on military operations against Iran could reach as high as $100 billion, far exceeding the $31 billion reported by the U.S. government.

The report states that an internal assessment by the U.S. Department of Defense shows that the actual spending on military operations against Iran is between $80 billion and $100 billion, which represents a significant gap from the figures previously released by the government. This discrepancy is mainly due to earlier estimates not covering undisclosed operational costs, losses of advanced fighter jets, and severe damage to U.S. military facilities in the Middle East. The cost of rebuilding U.S. military bases struck by Iran alone could exceed $30 billion.

The report indicates that the U.S. government has consistently refused to disclose the complete financial accounts of the military operations, leading to dissatisfaction in Congress. Several members of Congress have protested the Department of Defense's refusal to submit a detailed account of the true costs of the military operations to Congress. U.S. Senator Angus King stated that the American public is very frustrated by the inability to know the specific costs of this military engagement, "not to mention the costs it imposes on the American people in terms of gasoline prices and other areas."

According to reports, facing a funding shortfall, the U.S. Department of Defense has requested an additional $68 billion budget, but in the context of highly opaque costs, Congress is not very willing to approve the funding.