Trump’s strikes on Iran could cost American economy as much as $210 billion, top budget expert says

As the United States enters day four of Operation Epic Fury—its sweeping military campaign against Iran, launched in partnership with Israel—the financial toll on American taxpayers is beginning to come into focus for budget watchers on the Beltway and in academia. According to Kent Smetters, director of the Penn Wharton Budget Model (PWBM) and one of the nation’s foremost fiscal analysts, the total economic cost of the strikes could reach as high as $210 billion.​

Smetters, whose model is widely used in Washington...