US spent $12B since start of strikes on Iran, says White House economic adviser

ISTANBUL

The US has spent around $12 billion since the start of the joint strikes along with Israel on Iran, White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett said Sunday, as the Trump administration sought to reassure the public about the economic impact of the conflict.

"The 12 billion was what I was briefed has been spent so far," Hassett told CBS News, clarifying that it is not what a six-week campaign would cost.

He added that the administration did not anticipate needing to seek additional congressional funding, saying existing weapons stockpiles are sufficient to continue operations.

The figures are consistent with previous reporting by the New York Times, which cited a Pentagon briefing that estimated the cost at more than $11.3 billion in just the first six days.

On the timeline, Hassett said Defense Department officials believed the mission would take four to six weeks to complete and that the US is currently ahead of schedule. "So we're a couple of weeks in," he claimed.

US Energy Secretary Chris Wright told ABC News on Sunday the war "will certainly come to an end in the next few weeks."

Hassett sought to play down concerns about supply chain disruptions, saying the government is expanding permits for Venezuelan operations and securing new fertilizer sources from Morocco and Venezuela to protect American farmers.

On jet fuel shortages driven by disrupted Asian supplies, he said the administration is working to allow more foreign vessels to transit from the Gulf of Mexico to the West Coast.

He also pushed back on Iranian warnings about damaging the US economy, saying America's position as a major oil producer gave it far more resilience than during the 1970s energy crisis.

The US-Israeli strikes on Iran began Feb. 28 and have reportedly killed around 1,200 people, including then-Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Fourteen US service members have been killed since the beginning of the campaign, and Anadolu's own estimates put US asset losses at around $3.84 billion in the first two weeks of the campaign.