The United States has spent $12bn on its war against Iran since launching joint strikes on the country with Israel on February 28, Trump’s top economic adviser said, as domestic concerns grow over the Middle East conflict’s burgeoning economic impacts. CBS anchor Margaret Brennan noted more than $5bn in munitions alone was spent in the first week, a challenge Hassett did not directly address. Markets remain jittery after Iranian threats to the Strait of Hormuz, through which about 20 percent of the world’s oil supplies traverse. “America is not going to have its economy harmed by what the Iranians are doing,” he said, adding that unlike the 1970s, the US is now a major producer. At least 1,444 people have been killed in Iran since strikes began on February 28. Thirteen US soldiers have been killed, and more than 140 have been wounded.