German media: The US is not yet prepared to escort tankers through the Strait of Hormuz. Italian Prime Minister Meloni: The attack on the girls' school in Iran is a "massacre." Iran War: The US has spent $1.13 billion in six days.

Currently, all U.S. military resources are focused on attacking Iran, so it is "not yet ready" to escort tankers through the Strait of Hormuz.

U.S. Energy Secretary Wright said on Thursday, March 12, during an interview with CNBC, "The escort operation will soon begin, but not now. We are not yet ready." "Our current military resources are focused on destroying Iran's offensive capabilities and its manufacturing industry," he said. He predicted that the escort operation is likely to start by the end of this month. Wright participated in discussions at the Pentagon regarding the oil tanker escort issue.

Before and after Wright made these remarks, two oil tankers were attacked near Iraq's waters, resulting in at least one death. Oil prices briefly rebounded above $100 per barrel.

The bombing of Iran's energy facilities by the United States and Israel, as well as Tehran's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, caused the largest supply chain disruption in history in the global oil market. Member countries of the International Energy Agency hope to release 400 million barrels of oil from their reserves, which is the largest release ever. Over thirty countries have responded to this call to varying degrees.

Italian Prime Minister Meloni condemned the missile attack on a girls' school in southern Iran, calling it a "massacre," and called for a quick investigation into the truth and accountability of the perpetrators.

During a speech in the Italian Senate, Meloni stated, "I represent the government in strongly condemning the massacre of girls at a school in southern Iran." She also expressed solidarity with the families of these "very young victims" and hoped that those responsible for this tragedy would be quickly identified.

Meloni emphasized that as a member of the EU and NATO, Italy "is not involved in the war and does not want to be drawn into it."

According to information published by Iran on March 1, a girls' school in Minab city, Hormozgan province in southern Iran, was bombed on February 28, with the number of student casualties reaching 165, and 96 others injured. It is reported that the Iranian Revolutionary Guard has a base near this primary school. While various media outlets reported this incident, they all pointed out that the details of the event or the casualty numbers announced by Iranian media cannot be independently verified.

After the attack on the primary school, Iran accused the United States and Israel of launching a missile attack on the school. President Trump first blamed Tehran, claiming that the Iranian missiles were inaccurate. Israel denied any involvement in this attack. On Monday, March 11, Trump again stated that the United States was "investigating" this attack.

Recently, media cited internal sources reporting that the U.S. military used outdated intelligence, which led to a major misfire. According to international humanitarian law, deliberately attacking schools, hospitals, or any civilian facilities constitutes a war crime.

According to a source who spoke on Wednesday, March 11, the Trump administration informed Congress in a briefing that the U.S. estimated spending at least $1.13 billion in the first six days of the war against Iran.

This figure is not the total cost of the war, but lawmakers hope that the briefings will provide them with an understanding of the cost of this conflict. Government officials told the legislators that in the first two days of the air strikes on Iran, $5.6 billion worth of munitions were consumed.

Lawmakers believe that the matter of additional funding for the war against Iran will soon come up, and they are concerned that this conflict may deplete the U.S. military supplies. Currently, the defense industry is already facing shortages. Last week, Trump met with executives from seven defense contractors, while the Pentagon is also working to replenish supplies.

To date, the White House and the Department of War have not publicly assessed the cost of this war or provided an estimate of how long the war might last, despite Democratic lawmakers requesting the president to publicly swear an oath on the war plan. On Wednesday, Trump said in Kentucky, "We have won this war," but the United States will continue to fight until the mission is completed.

Source: DW

Original: toutiao.com/article/1859470394343428/

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