The war against Iran, now in its eighth month with no end in sight, may have cost the United States much more than the Trump administration has admitted so far. Not only in economic terms, but also in human lives.
According to the Washington Post, which collected the testimonies of six Pentagon officials, at least 22 US soldiers have died since the beginning of the conflict: four more than the 18 deaths recorded in the Defense Department’s public database. Three American contractors, employed in the region and killed during operations against Tehran, would be added to the toll.
No information was released on the identities of the victims, the locations or circumstances of the deaths. An omission that can have concrete consequences for families: when a soldier loses his life, the armed forces must in fact ascertain whether the death occurred in the performance of duty. The allowances and other benefits awarded to family members also depend on the outcome of the investigation.
The war bill rises to 45 billion
The economic cost of the “Epic Fury” operation would also be significantly higher than the estimates made public in recent months. According to a Pentagon source cited by CNN, the military campaign against Iran has already cost 45.1 billion dollars. The figure would not include, however, the repair of damaged bases and buildings nor a series of indirect costs linked to the conflict.
The Congressional Budget Office had estimated spending of around $38 billion through August 1, while the Defense Department had indicated a bill of $37.5 billion. The Congressional budget office itself had forecast, for the following months, a cost of between two and three billion dollars per month, destined to increase in the phases of greatest intensity of the fighting.
However, Trump continues to appear confident in a rapid conclusion to the war. “When it ends, gasoline prices will go back to their previous levels, maybe even lower,” he said during a White House event. However, the increase in fuel prices and the increase in the cost of living risk weighing on the president’s consensus in view of the mid-term elections.
CNN, Politico and Ms Now outside the White House
The revelations come as Trump escalates his confrontation with the media. The journalists of CNN, Political And Ms Now they were barred from accessing the White House after the president accused the three publications of continually spreading “false information.”
Correspondents’ badges stopped working on Saturday. To the journalist from Political Cheyenne Haslett’s pass would also have been confiscated by security officers. CNN called the measure a violation of journalists’ constitutional right to carry out their work without government interference. The decision should be challenged in the courts.
Second Politicalthe measure would have taken even some of Trump’s most important aides by surprise. The personnel manager and the press office would have learned the news from the message published by the president on Truth. Despite internal doubts, an administration source assured that it is a “real and definitive” decision.
Discussions are also reportedly underway at the White House to extend the exclusion to other publications. Trump also explicitly indicated the New York Times and the Washington Post, the very newspaper that revealed the discrepancies in the toll of military deaths in Iran.