The United States said on the 15th that it has so far spent about $12 billion (about 18 trillion won) on the anti-Iran military operation it named "Epic Fury."
Kevin Hassett, Chairperson of the White House National Economic Council (NEC), said this in an interview with CBS, calling it "the latest briefing number I received."
Chairperson Hassett said, "For now, I believe we have secured sufficient resources," adding that "whether we need to request additional funds from Congress is a matter for Russ Vought at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to review."
Chairperson Hassett said the United States is carrying out the operation using existing weapons systems already owned and deployed, and an additional supplemental budget is not necessarily required.
When asked about an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Spokesperson saying that Israel's combat operations would continue until early April, Chairperson Hassett avoided a direct answer, saying, "One of the things we are briefed on almost daily is what is happening with the Iran war and what the president is being briefed on."
He added, "As of yesterday's understanding—namely, the Ministry of National Defense's assessment—we expect it will take four to six weeks to complete this mission, and we are currently ahead of the original schedule."
As the Strait of Hormuz has been effectively blocked and international oil prices have risen sharply, Chairperson Hassett said the U.S. government has long studied responses to oil supply shocks, adding, "We cannot eliminate a supply shock completely, but we can minimize its impact."
He said, "The reason the oil futures market expects prices to fall to $60 per barrel in the long term, or even below $50, is that if Iran stops acting as a disruptive force in the Middle East, oil production and industrial output will increase substantially," adding, "When this situation ends, the global economy will receive a major positive shock."