US hits Iran for 11th night as costs reach $37.5 billion

The United States military conducted its 11th consecutive night of airstrikes against targets in Iran on Wednesday, 22 July, as the financial and geopolitical costs of the escalating conflict became a central focus in Washington. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that the ongoing operations have now reached a total cost of $37.5 billion, signaling the massive fiscal scale of the regional engagement. Fiscal impact and military objectives The multibillion-dollar expenditure includes the cost of munitions, carrier strike group deployments, and logistics required to sustain nearly two weeks of high-intensity operations. Hegseth confirmed the figures during a briefing, as the Pentagon maintains that the strikes are necessary to degrade Iranian military capabilities and retaliate for regional provocations. While specific casualty figures from the latest round of strikes remain unverified, the operations have consistently targeted command infrastructure and missile launch sites. Strait of Hormuz and maritime security US Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a warning regarding the broader implications of the conflict, specifically citing the precedent being set in the Strait of Hormuz. Rubio stated that Iranian actions in the strategic waterway, through which approximately one-fifth of the world's oil supply passes, could fundamentally alter international maritime law if left unchallenged. The US administration asserts that maintaining "freedom of navigation" in the…