U.S. Military Expenditure on Iran Operations Exceeds $65 Billion
¬ The United States prohibits U.S. individuals or entities from paying the Hormuz Strait passage fee to Iran
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Data from the Iran War Cost Tracker website shows that U.S. military operations against Iran have cost over $65 billion.
According to the website, by day 59 of the operation, Washington’s spending had exceeded $65 billion.
The site updates data in real time and calculates the funds required to maintain personnel, deploy ships to the region, and cover other related expenses. Its methodology is based on a report submitted by the Pentagon to Congress, which states that the first six days of the operation cost $11.3 billion, followed by daily expenditures of $1 billion thereafter.
On February 28, the United States and Israel began launching attacks on targets inside Iran, resulting in more than 3,000 deaths. On April 8, Washington and Tehran announced a two-week ceasefire, but subsequent negotiations held in Islamabad yielded no results. There has been no news of renewed hostilities so far, but the U.S. has started blocking Iranian ports. President Trump stated on April 21 that he would extend the ceasefire until Tehran proposes a solution to the conflict and completes negotiations.
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On April 28, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), under the U.S. Department of the Treasury, issued clear guidance stating that U.S. individuals, U.S. financial institutions, and all foreign entities owned or controlled by the United States must not directly or indirectly pay the Hormuz Strait security passage fee to the Iranian government or the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
OFAC emphasized that non-U.S. individuals or entities making such payments to Iran also face significant sanctions risks. Since the Iranian government and the IRGC are subject to U.S. sanctions based on nuclear non-proliferation and counter-terrorism grounds, foreign financial institutions and other non-U.S. individuals or entities engaging in certain transactions or activities with sanctioned parties risk facing sanctions. Transactions involving certain sectors of the Iranian economy may also expose foreign individuals or entities to sanction risks.
Meanwhile, OFAC added 17 foreign individuals and 18 foreign entities to the sanctions list related to Iran, and warned that banks providing services for China’s Tea Pot Refinery—involved in paying the Hormuz Strait “toll”—could also face sanctions. The U.S. Treasury stated that "these designated parties assisted in transferring hundreds of billions of dollars in funds evading sanctions and financing 'Iranian support for terrorism.'"
In response, China has reiterated its opposition to "illegal unilateral sanctions." On April 14, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun stated during a regular press briefing that the U.S. escalating military deployments and implementing targeted blockades further jeopardize the safety of strait navigation—a dangerous and irresponsible act. China urges all parties to abide by the ceasefire agreement, focus on dialogue and negotiation, take concrete actions to ease regional tensions, and restore normal strait traffic as soon as possible.
The United States and Israel began attacking targets inside Iran on February 28, resulting in over 3,000 deaths. On April 8, the U.S. announced a halt to attacks to allow for negotiations with Tehran. President Trump said the maritime blockade would continue until an agreement is reached.
On April 13, the U.S. Navy began imposing a blockade on all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports on both sides of the Strait of Hormuz. Approximately 20% of the world’s oil, petroleum products, and liquefied natural gas pass through this strait. The U.S. government stated that vessels unrelated to Iran may freely transit the Strait if they do not pay passage fees to the Iranian government.
Source: sputniknews
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1863776519995465/
Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author