Iran says 40-day war caused US$270 billion in damage
Iran estimates huge economic losses after 40 days of war, with recovery expected to take years and some projections rising to US$300 billion
Iran has estimated that the economic damage caused by its war with the United States and Israel has reached around US$270 billion, underlining the scale of destruction left by the 40-day conflict.
Government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani said on Tuesday, April 14, that the war had inflicted economic losses of roughly US$270 billion.
The figure is broadly in line with other early assessments. The New York Times, citing three Iranian government officials and two economists, reported that preliminary estimates placed the damage at around US$300 billion or even higher.
The Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a Washington-based think tank, has also put Iran’s economic losses from the war in a broad range of US$150 billion to US$300 billion.
Based on Iran’s population of around 92 million, the lower-end estimate of US$150 billion would work out at roughly US$1,600 per person. At the upper end, the losses could rise to nearly US$3,250 per person.
These estimates reflect not only physical destruction, but also the loss of national wealth caused by disrupted production, damaged infrastructure and paralysed trade.
An insider source quoted by Iran International said the Central Bank of Iran had previously warned President Masoud Pezeshkian that rebuilding the war-hit economy could take more than a decade.
More recently, senior Iranian economic officials have reportedly said the 40-day war could take as long as 12 years to recover from.
The figures highlight the depth of the economic shock facing Iran even if active fighting subsides, with reconstruction, transport recovery and broader economic repair likely to weigh on the country for years.
