U.S. Media: Harvard Scholar Says Iran War Could Cost U.S. Taxpayers $1 Trillion.
According to a briefing from the Pentagon to Congress, the U.S.-Israel joint military operation against Iran, which began on February 28, already spent $11.3 billion in just the first six days. However, Linda Bilmes, professor of public policy at Harvard Kennedy School, believes the actual costs far exceed official figures and predicts the total war cost "will definitely reach $1 trillion."
Bilmes estimates that during the actual 40-day conflict, daily spending amounted to about $2 billion, covering ammunition, troop deployment, and military asset losses—including three F-15 fighter jets mistakenly shot down over Kuwait. She points out that the Pentagon reports costs based on historical inventory value rather than current replacement costs, leading to significant underestimation—$11.3 billion in reported costs actually reflects closer to $16 billion in real expenses. Additionally, the U.S. pays $4 million per intercept missile purchased from Lockheed Martin and Boeing, while each Iranian drone costs only $30,000, highlighting an extreme imbalance in cost efficiency.
In the long term, the war will also entail massive expenditures for rebuilding military facilities, repairing infrastructure of Gulf allies, and lifetime disability compensation for approximately 55,000 stationed troops. The White House has already requested Congress to raise the defense budget to $1.5 trillion, plus an additional $200 billion specifically allocated for war funding—making it the largest military expansion since World War II.
Bilmes warns that with public debt already exceeding $31 trillion and borrowing rates high, war-related interest costs will further burden future generations.
Original Article: toutiao.com/article/1862466652924935/
Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author.