Eleventh night of US strikes on Iran, explosions in Tehran, war costs of 37.5 billion dollars
The US military has struck Iran for the eleventh consecutive night; for the first time since the latest escalation, air defenses were active again over Tehran. Before the Senate, Defense Secretary Hegseth put the war's costs so far at 37.5 billion dollars. At the same time, the Houthis are forcing ships carrying Saudi oil to turn back and are widening the conflict onto the shipping lanes.
After fresh US air raids, air defenses were activated again in the capital Tehran for the first time since the latest escalation began, as German outlets such as Die Welt and Deutschlandfunk report. President Trump threatened a heavy blow against the underground Pickaxe Mountain facility near Natanz; the New York Times frames it as a possible next target within Iran's nuclear complex. Before the Senate, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth defended a supplemental request of 67 billion dollars and cited 37.5 billion dollars in costs so far, but was interrupted by antiwar protests. Western liberal voices such as The Economist and Politico warn that the war could swallow Trump's presidency and become a liability ahead of the midterms. From the viewpoint of state-aligned outlets such as Serbia's Politika, Tehran is threatening to strike US targets and their allies if its nuclear sites are attacked. The Gulf outlet Al Jazeera highlights the humanitarian consequences and the widening by the Houthis, who are forcing ships in the Bab al-Mandab strait to turn back. Confirmed is the death of a third US soldier in an attack on a base in Jordan, pushing up the death toll since the war reignited, according to the Guardian. Assessments diverge over the actual effect of the strikes on Iran's nuclear program.