Image: Donald Trump leaves after announcing the U.S. Navy’s new Golden Fleet initiative, unveiling a new class of warships, at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, on December 22, 2025.ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP via Getty Images

Mike Ludwig of Truthout reports: “The day before he signed a memorandum of understanding with Iranian leaders, President Donald Trump said he wants to put the joint U.S.-Israeli war on Iran in the “rearview mirror.” But even if the memorandum — which puts an end to the war for at least the next 60 days — holds, the enormous costs of the war itself will not disappear with the next news cycle.

In Iran, at least 3,468 people were killed over several weeks of U.S.-Israeli strikes. Recovery for Iran is expected to be costly after the strikes hit critical infrastructure like bridges, manufacturing, and oil depots, as well as civilian infrastructure like hospitals and schools. As part of the agreement signed this week, the U.S. has said it would work with regional partners create a $300 billion reconstruction fund.

Meanwhile, in the U.S., as Trump seeks nearly $1.5 trillion in military spending and puts pressure on military contractors to rapidly replenish depleted weapons stockpiles, critics say Congress must reject funding for more wars and reverse harmful cuts to the social safety net…”

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