US President Donald Trump described the $30 billion spent on the military operation against Iran as “small change.” In an interview with Fox News, he said that US expenses had been more than offset by the revenue Washington expects from Venezuela.
“I heard a very stupid congressman talking about $30 billion spent on the war with Iran. That’s small change,” Trump said. According to him, the United States is acting from a position of strength and there is a “very good chance” that the two countries will reach an agreement.
However, the official estimate of the costs is disputed. According to a report by New Republic, Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought cited the figure of $30 billion before Congress. An independent analysis cited by the publication estimates the total cost of the conflict at around $103 billion, including munitions, damaged equipment, mobilization and expenses incurred by other US agencies.
Washington sets no deadline for new strikes
Vice President JD Vance said the administration had not set a specific deadline for resuming the strikes if diplomatic efforts failed to produce results.
“We have not set deadlines. We have clearly stated what we want: Iran’s nuclear program must be dismantled,” Vance said.He added that the United States wanted to ensure that Tehran would not restore its program and would not even attempt to do so. According to Vance, this is Washington’s most important condition.
The vice president said that Iran was concerned about its sovereignty and the restoration of its economy. According to him, an agreement was possible if Tehran accepted the American demands and abandoned its nuclear ambitions. Vance also said that the talks had made some progress, but described Iran’s leadership as unpredictable.
Military pressure remains on the table
The negotiations are being conducted with Qatar’s mediation, but at the same time the United States continues to maintain military options in the region. According to Fox News, on November 2, US forces carried out a “defensive” strike on Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz after Iran fired at an American aircraft. A US official said the operation did not automatically mean the start of a new escalation.
On the same day, Vance said that the president was retaining “kinetic” and non-kinetic options, while Trump said he was in no hurry to resume large-scale strikes. This leaves the diplomatic process open, but without any guarantee that hostilities will not resume.
American pressure is focused primarily on Iran’s nuclear program. At the same time, Tehran insists that its sovereignty and prospects for economic recovery be protected. Thus, the next stage depends on whether the two countries will manage to reconcile these differing conditions in a single agreement.
Sources: foxnews.com, apnews.com, newrepublic.com