What is the real cost of America's war with Iran?…Guardian "Could exceed $1 trillion"

Gas prices at a gas station in New York, USA

The ultimate real cost of America's war with Iran is likely to exceed $1 trillion (approximately 1,476 trillion Korean won) over the next decade, and the poor will ultimately pay the price, the British daily Guardian asserted in an editorial on the 21st (local time).

The Guardian made this assertion in an editorial titled 'The True Cost of the Iran War: Bombs kill people, but so do the economic repercussions'.

The newspaper predicted, "Costs accumulate over time," adding, "However, while the suffering is widespread, it is never shared equally. Rising energy, food, and fertilizer costs will increasingly hit poor and import-dependent nations hardest."

It also pointed out that while Iran's economy was already in a desperate state due to prolonged sanctions and national failures, it was designed to withstand coercion, and the Iranian regime has so far survived military and strategic pressure.

According to the Guardian, the U.S. Department of Defense reportedly briefed that the military costs for the first six days of the war were $11.3 billion (approximately 16.7 trillion Korean won), and the general consensus is that this figure is a gross underestimate.

Linda Bilmes, a government finance expert at Harvard University, estimated earlier this month that the total cost of this war would reach $1 trillion, considering factors such as interest payments and long-term costs related to veterans.

However, these direct costs are just the beginning, and the total cost increases when the economic impact is included.

According to estimates by the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) cited by the Guardian, the total cost that an average American household must bear, including rising oil prices, is $410 (605,000 Korean won), while British households are estimated to lose £480 (960,000 Korean won) annually.

USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier participating in the Iran War last March

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) analyzed that Arab countries faced an economic contraction of $120 billion (approximately 177 trillion Korean won) to $194 billion (approximately 286 trillion Korean won) in just one month after the outbreak of the war.

In particular, with rising food prices, the poorest populations are expected to be hit hardest.

The World Food Programme (WFP) predicted last month that the number of people facing severe food shortages would increase by 45 million, primarily in Asia and Africa.

The Guardian quoted Tom Fletcher, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, as emphasizing, "It is devastating that money that could have saved 87 million lives is being wasted on taking lives."

It further pointed out that more lives would be lost due to the economic repercussions of this war, stating, "Even if peace comes tomorrow, the damage already done will not be undone. However, the longer the war continues, the greater the extent of its destruction."