United States President Donald Trump said that the war with Iran will end “very soon“. He made his statement at a rally in Corpus Christi, Texas, where he supported Republican Party candidates ahead of the midterm elections for Congress.
“It will end very soon. They don't have an army, they don't have a navy, they don't have an air force“, Trump said, according to the published recording of his speech. The American president also said that the United States is achieving “an even greater victory“ and that the goal is to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.
“We will win, just like we won in Venezuela. We are winning decisively. It can end any time I want. Someone asked me when this would end and I said, "When I want it to end. It will happen very quickly. But we have to end it properly," Trump stressed, reiterating his position that Tehran "should never get a nuclear weapon."
Trump rejected Washington's responsibility for starting the conflict. "America did not start the war with Iran," he said, presenting the military operation as necessary to prevent an Iranian nuclear threat.
Costs exceed $47 billion
Amid the promise of a quick end, the cost of the US military for the war has exceeded $47 billion. The amount is listed in the latest estimate by the US Central Command, provided to Congress, and is more than 25 percent higher than the Pentagon's July estimate of $37.5 billion. The data was obtained by “Reuters“.
The largest expense is to replenish stocks of used ammunition - more than $29 billion. More than $6 billion is related to the replacement of military equipment and lost platforms, including unmanned aerial vehicles. The estimate does not clearly include the cost of repairing US bases damaged in Iranian missile and drone attacks.
In September, Central Command estimated the cost of the conflict at $43.6 billion. According to the Associated Press, the war began on February 28 with US-Israeli strikes against Iran, and the costs continue to rise as operations intensify.
Washington allows new strikes
According to “Reuters“ after the April ceasefire, Iran restored some of its air defenses, missiles and drones. The Trump administration subsequently imposed a naval blockade aimed at limiting Tehran's revenues from oil exports.
American officials, quoted by the agency on condition of anonymity, said that the Pentagon is preparing for a possible resumption of heavy combat operations if the president gives such an order. This could happen after the midterm elections on November 3, but no decision has been announced on a new military operation.
The war is already affecting the Republican campaign. The Associated Press reported that the conflict has led to higher fuel prices and is putting additional pressure on the party's candidates ahead of the vote.
Sources: apnews.com, arabnews.com, rollcall.com