By Soheila Zarfam
U.S. continues to complain about Iran as its military budget outpaces Tehran's alleged spending by 54 times
TEHRAN – The criticism pointed at Iran in recent years for the country’s financial commitment to supporting its allies in West Asia has been substantial.
Western media has specifically criticized Iran for its involvement in the Syrian Civil War, with unfounded reports claiming that the country allocated between $30 to $50 billion to support Bashar al-Assad’s government between 2011 and 2020.
However, the accuracy of these figures is questionable, as they lack reliable sources and are far above the estimated budget allocated by Iran for its foreign policy.
Additionally, a while back, The Times published an exclusive report wherein it supposedly disclosed that the Iranian government provided $222 million in financial support to the Palestinian Resistance group Hamas between 2014 and 2020–a revelation that further calls into question the inflated claims about Iran’s foreign spending, as the numbers reported by Western media simply do not add up when compared to the actual amounts Iran has allocated to its various foreign commitments.
Western critics argue that such spending, given Iran’s domestic economic struggles, is a waste of resources that could be better spent addressing pressing issues at home.
Yet, this criticism overlooks the far larger financial commitments made by the United States in its global military interventions.
While Iran’s alleged spending is only a fraction of what the U.S. has invested in wars around the world, the narrative often portrays Iran’s financial strategy as reckless, ignoring the much greater damage caused by U.S. military overreach.
Iran’s involvement in Syria is often framed by the Western media as an unsustainable drain on the country’s resources. The alleged $30 to $50 billion allocated to support Assad, when divided among the estimated 83 million Iranian citizens, amounts to roughly $361 to $602 per person. This expenditure, even if true, pales in comparison to the financial burden carried by U.S. citizens due to their country's military interventions.
Furthermore, the funds spent by Iran in Syria represent a regional commitment to maintaining influence and countering external threats, in line with its strategic interests in West Asia.
The U.S., however, has spent an estimated $8 trillion on wars since the 9/11 attacks, engaging in conflicts in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, and beyond. This amount, according to research from Brown University's Watson Institute in the year 2022, includes direct war appropriations, the Pentagon's increased budget, veterans' care, and interest payments on borrowed funds.
US overreach and its regional consequences
Despite the immense sums spent by the U.S. on wars in West and Central Asia, the results have been widely regarded as failures.
U.S. President Donald Trump, during a campaign rally in Laconia on January 22, 2024, criticized the outcome of the U.S. military’s post-9/11 interventions: “We spent 9 trillion dollars, killed millions of people... and what did we accomplish? Nothing! All we have is death and blood.”
If we break these figures down, this amounts to about $27,000 per U.S. citizen—almost 54 times more per person than the average in Iran’s alleged budget, which is about $480 per person.
These remarks reflect the growing disillusionment within the American public, as years of military engagement have often led to increased instability and the rise of extremist groups like Daesh. The human cost has been staggering, with tens of thousands of U.S. soldiers and millions of civilians from the intervened regions losing their lives.
Moreover, the U.S.'s military overreach has drained national resources that could have been used to address domestic issues. The $8 trillion spent on war has meant fewer investments in critical sectors like healthcare, education, and infrastructure, all of which are in desperate need of funding.
While the U.S. military-industrial complex continues to profit, working-class Americans are left to bear the brunt of the financial burden, through higher taxes and reduced public services.
When comparing the cost of war on citizens, the contrast between the U.S. and Iran is striking. For U.S. citizens, the financial burden of these wars has been far more severe, with billions of dollars diverted from domestic needs into foreign military ventures.
The U.S. military budget is enormous, yet the benefits to American citizens are far from clear. While some argue that U.S. military presence abroad is meant to ensure national security, many see these interventions as futile, especially when the costs far exceed the results.
The billions spent on these wars could have been used to address pressing domestic issues, such as healthcare reform, education, and improving infrastructure. Instead, these resources have been squandered in conflicts where the U.S. has often had little direct stake.
In contrast, Iran’s spending is part of a broader regional strategy. The Iranian government has always highlighted its support for Assad as a necessary measure to protect its national security and counter external threats, particularly from Western-backed forces in the region.
Iran’s commitment to Syria is not a reflection of imperial ambitions but rather a strategic decision based on its security interests.
A narrative of hypocrisy
The narrative that often emerges in Western media is one of hypocrisy. While Iran’s relatively low regional spending is frequently criticized as an unsustainable drain on its resources, the U.S. continues to engage in costly and destructive military interventions that span the globe.
Despite spending far more and achieving little in terms of concrete results, the U.S. is often portrayed as a benevolent force seeking to promote democracy and stability, while Iran is painted as a rogue state wasting its resources on foreign conflicts.
This double standard overlooks the fact that U.S. interventions have often led to chaos and instability, empowering extremist groups and creating long-term consequences that continue to affect the global order.
Iran’s military spending, on the other hand, is far more targeted, aimed at preserving regional stability and countering external threats. While the U.S. has caused significant harm through its military overreach, Iran’s actions are a defensive measure to protect its sovereignty and influence.
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