Khaberni - The Director of the National Economic Council in the White House, Kevin Hassett, announced that the cost of the American military operation on Iran has so far reached about $12 billion, according to the latest briefing he received.
Hassett said in an interview with "CBS" on Sunday: "The last figure I was informed of is $12 billion. That is what we have spent up to this moment," adding that the available weapons and resources are "sufficient to carry out the mission".
The American official explained that the White House, if it needs additional financial appropriations, can resort to Congress through the relevant authorities to request new allocations.
Hassett pointed out that estimates issued by the US Department of War indicate that the military operation would take "four to six weeks to achieve its goals," considering that the progress of operations "is ahead of schedule." He said: "We are about in the first two weeks, and this gives a clearer idea of when the President will decide that the goals have been achieved."
He expressed confidence that the American economy "will not be harmed by the developments in the region," saying that the United States "has significant economic momentum and abundant quantities of oil." He added that the end of the war would give the global economy "a significant positive shock."
Last week, Reuters reported that several members of Congress expect "to receive a request from the White House in the coming days for additional funding for the war." Some officials noted that "the request could reach $50 billion," while others considered that "this estimate seems modest."
This comes at a time when the military confrontation continues, after the United States and Israel began implementing strikes targeting sites inside Iranian territory on February 28.
In response, Iran continues to carry out counterattacks targeting Israel, as well as American military sites in the Middle East, reflecting the widening scope of escalation and ongoing concerns about the region sliding into a broader confrontation.
