US President Donald Trump hinted at the possibility that Arab countries could contribute to bear part of the costs of military operations and naval blockades, stressing that Washington expects financial support in this context.
Trump's remarks came in response to a reporter's question about whether Arab countries would bear part of the total cost, saying, "I think they will make that contribution," adding that the United States has made a great effort, justifying, in his words, the contribution of other parties to cover the costs.
White House: Trump
White House spokeswoman Carolyn Levitt indicated in her remarks on Monday, March 31, 2026, that Trump may be interested in calling on Arab countries to bear the costs of the war with Iran, during her statement to reporters on Monday, adding that she believes Trump will talk more about this topic later.
When asked during a press conference whether Arab countries would contribute to paying for the war, Levitt said she did not want to preempt the president's statements, but noted that this was an idea he had on his mind.
"I think that's something that the president might be very interested in inviting these countries to do," she said, stressing that this is an idea he knows he has, and is expected to be addressed further in the future.
How much does war cost?
According to opinion polls, the economic cost is one of the most prominent challenges facing the US administration, and according to the website "Military Spend", which specializes in tracking military expenditures, the cost of the war until the end of February amounted to about $28 billion, of which about $12 billion was spent during the first six days alone.
The data indicates that daily spending is mainly distributed on munitions and missiles, which account for about $320 million per day, representing 36% of total spending. Air operations come in second place with a cost of $245 million per day, equivalent to 27.5%.
Naval operations cost about $155 million per day, while about $95 million per day is allocated to missile defense systems. It also spends approximately $45 million a day on intelligence and cyber operations.
Gulf States: No Comment
There has been no official comment from the Gulf states on these statements, but a report published by Politico a few days ago quoted sources familiar with discussions within the US administration as warnings that the continuation of the war with Iran could threaten the hundreds of billions of dollars that Gulf governments have pledged to invest in projects inside the United States, as the region's economy enters a sharp downturn.
One of these sources noted that the biggest concern is that the Gulf states may have to withdraw tens of billions of dollars from their investments in the United States and return them to their countries within a few weeks. He added that such a step, if implemented, could have major repercussions on economic stability, especially on the technology and artificial intelligence sectors, which are a key pillar of President Donald Trump's economic plan.