The decades-long military involvement of the United States in the Middle East expanded once again this week after its warplanes bombed at least three of Iran’s nuclear facilities.
According to a briefing by US General Dan Caine, chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, seven B-2 stealth bombers, each valued at approximately $2.1bn, dropped at least 14 bunker-buster bombs worth millions on Fordow and Natanz.
In total, more than 125 US aircraft participated in the mission, including bombers, fighters, tankers, surveillance aircraft, and support crews, all costing hundreds of millions of dollars to deploy and operate.
The US spends more on its military than any other country in the world, more than the next nine countries combined, spending about three times more than China and nearly seven times more than Russia.
In 2024, the US spent $997bn on its military, accounting for 37 percent of all global military spending, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
Hellbound and Down 