Analysis: The US's biggest cost in the war in the Middle East was political
The war in the Middle East has left a trail of destruction that goes far beyond the battlefields. According to CNN International analyst Lourival Sant'Anna on CNN Prime Time, the greatest cost of the conflict for the United States was not financial, but political - represented by the inflationary pressure exerted on American voters.
The context of the negotiations also gained prominence: Steve Witkoff, special envoy of American President Donald Trump, is on his way to Switzerland to begin negotiations for a nuclear agreement with Iran.
Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law, is also expected to participate in the talks. The round of negotiations was initially scheduled for this Friday (19), but was postponed amid the escalation of the conflict between Israel and Lebanon.
The human cost of the conflict
The death toll reveals the tragic dimension of the war.
According to data presented by Sant'Anna, 3,540 Iranians and 3,912 Lebanese lost their lives in the conflict.
"This number is incredible because the war was in Iran. You see how vulnerable Lebanon is, how it is used as a parallel field of war," said the analyst.
Lourival explains that, according to Lebanese doctors who treated the victims, 90% of them were civilians, many of them children. On just one of the days analyzed, of the 47 deaths recorded by the Lebanese government, two were children.
In addition, 13 American soldiers also lost their lives in the conflict. Israel, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar also recorded dozens of deaths each, as they became targets of Iranian missiles and drones due to American military bases present in their territories, according to the analyst.
Billion-dollar economic impact
The direct military cost to the United States was estimated at $80 billion.
When other economic factors are added - such as the increase in the price of gasoline - the total value rises to US$ 132 billion.
"The biggest cost for the United States is obviously political, this inflationary pressure exerted on the American voter", highlighted Sant'Anna.
The analyst also highlighted that the entire world suffered from the shock of energy, fertilizers and inputs for the pharmaceutical and chip industries, all dependent on the Strait of Hormuz.
Destruction in Iran and prospects for reconstruction
The cost to Iran, although without confirmed official data, is estimated at US$300 billion in infrastructure destruction, according to Lourival Sant'Anna.
Not by chance, this value coincides with the amount of a private resources fund that the United States would be promoting, with the participation of companies from rich countries, the Arab monarchies of the Gulf and Latin America, with the aim of rebuilding war-ravaged Iran.
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Source: CNN