Iran's FM Abbas Araghchi, in a post on X on Friday, asserted that the financial toll of the ongoing conflict is vastly higher than official United States estimates, writing, "The Pentagon is lying. Netanyahu's gamble has directly cost America $100b so far, four times what is claimed."
Araghchi's social media statement further declared that the financial burden on American citizens is significantly more severe than publicly acknowledged.
He claimed that the monthly expense for each U.S. household has reached $500 and continues to climb rapidly.
The foreign minister concluded his remarks by stating, "Israel First always means America Last," highlighting Tehran's framing of the military engagement as fundamentally detrimental to domestic American economic interests.
The Iranian official's comments arrive against the backdrop of an extended pause in active combat, originally initiated by U.S. President Donald Trump, which has temporarily halted a conflict that commenced in late February.
Despite this cessation of major kinetic operations, according to Agence France-Presse reporting, Washington maintains a strict naval embargo on Iranian shipping hubs, while Tehran continues to tightly restrict maritime transit through the critical Strait of Hormuz.
This latest rhetorical escalation underscores the persistent volatility between Washington and Tehran. As detailed by AFP journalists, the two nations have only engaged in a single diplomatic session since the hostilities began, with no substantive breakthroughs regarding a definitive end to the war or resolutions concerning Iran's nuclear capabilities.
