Tehran, May 1 (ANI) — Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Friday accused the Pentagon of understating the financial toll of the conflict with Iran, saying the war has cost the United States roughly $100 billion so far.
In a post on X, Araghchi wrote that Pentagon figures are false and that the current price tag is about four times the amount being reported. He added that indirect costs to U.S. taxpayers are far higher, estimating the monthly burden at about $500 per American household and warning that the number is rising. He also criticized what he called “Israel First” policies as detrimental to American interests.
Separately, Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf mocked U.S. blockade proposals, arguing Iran’s border length makes a blockade impractical. Addressing U.S. commentator Pete Hegseth, Ghalibaf suggested building two walls—one from New York to the West Coast and another from Los Angeles to the East Coast—would total 7,755 km, still roughly 1,000 km shorter than Iran’s borders, and quipped that blockading Iran would be difficult. He appended a conversion note for Hegseth: 1 km = 0.62 mi.
The comments came after Hegseth told the House Armed Services Committee that the U.S. had spent about $25 billion on the conflict, mainly for munitions and equipment maintenance. Democratic lawmakers and several economists have criticized that figure as a significant underestimate, saying broader economic costs could range from $630 billion to $1 trillion.
Pentagon officials told Congress in March that the war cost $11.3 billion in the first six days, a figure considerably lower than the $200 billion the Trump administration initially requested for related operations.
