The costs of war: Part II

By Dr. Anne T. Sulton, Esq.

JA Senior International Correspondent

Launched in February 2026, the USA war against the Iranian people carries enormous costs of blood and treasure.

In Part I, I mention the thousands of lives lost, including hundreds of innocent children killed by bombs the USA dropped on their schools, homes, and playgrounds. Plane loads of USA soldiers have returned home in coffins or on stretchers.

In Part I, I also noted the more than $200 Billion USA residents have paid to militarily attack the Iranian people. These costs include costs for staging near Iran tens of thousands of USA soldiers, and massive aircraft carriers and other war machinery. USA residents also are experiencing increased fuel and food costs. But these are only a few of the costs of this war.

To repair or rebuild Iranian infrastructure damaged by USA bombs, the current rough estimate appears to be at least $300 Billion. This number is mentioned at point 6 of 14 in the “MOU” the USA president signed while dining in France with its President Emmanuel Macron. See https://arabcenterdc.org/resource/memorandum-of-understanding-between-the-united-states-of-america-and-the-islamic-republic-of-iran/ 

However, other war costs are difficult to estimate.

The Iranian response strategy includes launching missiles and explosive drones at USA military assets located on the soil of other nations in this region. Some estimates suggest it will cost the USA between $4 Billion and $9.4 Billion to repair or to replace its damaged military assets.

Among the nations reporting damage to their oil refineries, LNG export facilities, energy infrastructure, and/or airports are Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, and United Arab Emirates. Assessments of the estimated revenue losses and rebuilding costs these allied nations will incur are ongoing.

Commercial vessels transversing the Strait of Hormuz and other regional water ways too have been hit by explosive devices, killing and injuring crew members and rendering them unable to deliver their cargo of oil, LNG, fertilizer, or other commodities. These costs currently are being tallied by ship owners and importers and risks assessed by investors and insurance companies.

Currently also unknown are the costs of this war for the financial and other burdens imposed upon the peoples of other nations across the globe depending upon timely delivery of the essential oil and other exports produced by the nations in this conflict zone. Some estimates exceed $2 Trillion and counting. See https://www.visionofhumanity.org/the-hidden-price-of-the-iran-war/

Strained relations with long-time friends and staunch allies too are direct consequences of the USA’s war against the Iranian people. France, Italy, and Spain are among the nations just saying “no” to becoming entangled in this war. These nations declined the USA request to allow the USA to stage its war efforts from their lands.

Fractured too by the thousands of bombs exploding in Iran is the foundation upon which the USA built its cherished reputation of being considered the “leader of the free world”. Pope Leo is among the world leaders denouncing this war.

Speaking from Villa Barberini, the papal residence in Castel Gandolfo, in April 2026, Pope Leo said: “Today, as we all know, there has also been this threat against the entire people of Iran. And this is truly unacceptable! … Let’s remember, especially, the innocent: children, the elderly, the sick, so many people who have already become, or will become, victims of this continued warfare – and to remind all that attacks on civilian infrastructure are against international law, and that they are also a sign of the hatred, division, and destruction that the human being is capable of.”

Another cost of the war against the Iranian people is the weakening of the USA dollar. For many decades, the USA dollar has been the world’s currency of choice. Some payments for oil and other internationally-traded commodities now are being made with the currencies of other nations.

And, now, the USA Department of War is asking Congress to allocate an additional $52.5 Million to legally change its name from the Department of Defense to the Department of War; an additional $67 Billion in emergency supplemental funding; and an additional $1.5 Trillion in funding for fiscal year 2027.