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🇬🇧 United Kingdom /Elections & Politics

$37.5bn cost of Iran war revealed as senator warns of ‘another forever war’

From The Guardian · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • The US-Israel war on Iran has cost $37.5 billion so far, according to US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
  • Senator Patty Murray questioned the war's achievements and warned it could become "another forever war."
  • Developments include the Iranian foreign minister's account of surviving an airstrike, reports of dire conditions for ordinary Iranians, and a US agreement for Saudi Arabia to enrich uranium.

The US-Israel war against Iran has incurred a staggering cost of $37.5 billion to date, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth informed the Senate. Hegseth faced intense questioning from lawmakers concerned about the escalating expenses and the recent deaths of three American service members.

the US-Israel war on Iran has cost $37.5bn so far

— Pete HegsethUS Defense Secretary informing the Senate about the war's financial toll.

He defended the Trump administration's request for approximately $88 billion in supplemental funding, labeling it "urgent and necessary." However, Democratic Senator Patty Murray of Washington pressed Hegseth for an accounting of the war's actual achievements. Murray accused the administration of shifting its justifications weekly and voiced concerns that the conflict risked evolving into "another forever war."

urgent, necessary

— Pete HegsethDescribing the Trump administration's supplemental funding request for the war.

Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi described his harrowing experience of being pulled from the rubble of a leadership compound after an airstrike killed Iran's supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, on the war's first day. He stated that survival has meant constantly moving by car throughout Tehran. Reports from ordinary Iranians paint a grim picture, with airstrikes, repression, and water shortages becoming their "new normal."

what the war had actually achieved, accusing the administration of shifting its rationale by the week and warning that the conflict risked becoming “another forever war”.

— Patty MurraySenator questioning the war's objectives and potential longevity.

In other regional developments, New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani acknowledged his lack of authority to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu but urged US federal authorities to do so if Netanyahu visits the US. The White House also announced that American airlines will resume direct flights to Lebanon, a route suspended over 40 years ago. Separately, reports indicate Donald Trump approved a deal allowing Saudi Arabia to enrich uranium for its civilian nuclear program, a move that could potentially pave the way for a Saudi weapons program if Iran develops nuclear capabilities.

it’s truly hell here

— ordinary IraniansDescribing the impact of the conflict on daily life.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by The Guardian in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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