White House spokeswoman Carolyn Levitt says passing the cost of the conflict on to regional states is Trump’s “idea.”
The White House has suggested that US President Donald Trump ask Arab countries to cover the cost of the United States’ war against Iran, estimated at billions of dollars.
Trump spokeswoman Carolyn Levitt was asked on Monday whether Arab states should pay for the war, just as U.S. allies helped fund Washington’s intervention during the Gulf War in the 1990s.
Recommended Stories
list of 3 itemsend of list
“I think it’s something the president would be very interested in calling them to do,” Leavitt told reporters.
“I wouldn’t be able to outdo him on this, but it’s certainly a thought I know he has, and I think you’ll hear more about it from him.”
The United States led a global coalition of dozens of nations to stop Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait at the request of the country and many of its Arab neighbors during the Gulf War.
In return, states in the region and members of the alliance, including Germany and Japan, raised $54 billion (equivalent to $134 billion today) to help pay for American participation.
However, this time, the US and Israel unilaterally went to war with Iran without involving their allies and regional countries.
Earlier this month, Sean Hannity, a right-wing commentator close to Trump, said any ceasefire deal should include Iran paying the price of the war, which has killed nearly 2,000 Iranians.
Hannity said, “They have to agree to reimburse America for the entire cost of this entire military operation.”
However, Iran has set US compensation for war damages as one of its conditions.
Iran has responded to US and Israeli attacks with missile and drone attacks across the Middle East.
Iranian officials have said they are targeting US assets in the region, but Tehran has also launched attacks on civilian sites, including hotels, airports and energy infrastructure in several Gulf countries.
US media outlets reported earlier this month that officials told members of the US Congress in a classified hearing that the cost of the first six days of the war was $11.3 billion.
The Center for Strategic and International Studies estimates that this number rose to $16.5 billion by the 12th day of the conflict. As the war enters its 31st day, the bill is now likely to be much higher.
The White House is seeking at least $200 billion in additional military spending from Congress to finance the military campaign in Iran and replenish the Pentagon’s munitions stockpile.
Beyond the immediate price tag for the US military, the war – which led to Iran closing the Strait of Hormuz – has sent global energy prices soaring.
According to the American Automobile Association (AAA) tracker, the average price of a gallon (3.8 L) of gasoline in the US is now $3.99, $1 more than before the war started.
On Monday, Levitt reiterated the Trump administration’s claim that rising energy prices would outweigh the benefits of weakening Iran.
“The overall message, as we have said repeatedly: These are short-term actions and short-term price fluctuations for the long-term benefit of eliminating the threat that Iran poses to the United States, our troops, and our allies in the region,” he told reporters.
Iran argues that it was attacked first in the middle of diplomatic talks and it poses no threat to America or the region.
