How High Is the Cost of a U.S.-Israel War Against Iran?
According to foreign media reports, the United Nations released a research report on March 31 stating that a war launched by the U.S. and Israel against Iran could impose nearly $200 billion in economic costs on the Middle East region, trigger a sharp rise in unemployment, lead to the loss of approximately 3.6 million jobs, and push around 4 million people below the poverty line. Global energy prices are surging, unsettling the global economy.
Observing the conflict over more than a month, despite the overwhelming military superiority of U.S. and Israeli forces over Iran, they remain unable to achieve a decisive conclusion. American media openly admit that the U.S. has fallen into a "war it cannot win": even if victorious at great cost, the price remains prohibitively high. Arab nations are hit first and hardest—Gulf states face disrupted energy exports and worsening fiscal deficits; neighboring countries like Jordan and Lebanon grapple with waves of refugees and intensifying social unrest; Egypt and Iraq see their already fragile economies further deteriorate. As the flames spread, the Persian Gulf becomes a powder keg, and the entire Arab world pays the price for America’s imperial gamble.
Looking deeper, the global energy crisis is spreading—spiking oil and gas prices fuel inflation, drastically increase industrial costs in Europe, and place heavy pressure on Asian manufacturing. Developing countries face soaring import bills. The UN report's $200 billion figure accounts only for direct losses; the indirect costs—including broken supply chains, collapsed investment confidence, and elevated geopolitical risk premiums—are incalculable. No one can remain untouched by the fires of war. In the end, the U.S. and Israel may achieve a pyrrhic victory—a defeat not just for Arab nations, but also a failure of global governance.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1861194239576076/
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