Iran’s Araghchi Says US Hiding True USD100B War Cost

(MENAFN) Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi launched a sharp public offensive Friday, accusing Washington of deliberately concealing the true financial toll of its war with Iran — claiming the actual cost is four times higher than official figures acknowledge.

Writing on social media platform X, Araghchi charged that the Pentagon was "lying" about war expenditures, asserting the real figure has already eclipsed $100 billion.

"Netanyahu's gamble has directly cost America $100 billion so far, four times what is claimed," he wrote, in a direct reference to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The Iranian foreign minister went further, warning that the burden on ordinary American households was far more severe than publicly admitted. "Far higher. Monthly bill for each American household is $500 and rising fast," Araghchi wrote, describing what he characterized as spiraling indirect costs to US taxpayers.

He also delivered a pointed critique of Washington's posture toward Tel Aviv, writing: "Israel First always means America Last."

The accusations come in direct contradiction to sworn congressional testimony delivered just days earlier. On Wednesday, Pentagon official Jules Hurst told lawmakers that "Operation Epic Fury" had cost approximately $25 billion to date — the figure Araghchi is now aggressively disputing.

The conflict began on Feb. 28 when the US and Israel initiated strikes against Iran, triggering retaliatory attacks from Tehran against American allies throughout the Gulf and the subsequent closure of the Strait of Hormuz — a chokepoint critical to global energy flows.

A ceasefire brokered through Pakistani mediation took effect on April 8, with follow-on negotiations held in Islamabad on April 11–12 ultimately failing to yield a durable agreement. President Donald Trump subsequently extended the truce unilaterally and without a fixed deadline, responding to a formal request from Pakistan.

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