The White House revealed that Donald Trump is interested in the idea of Arab countries jointly bearing the multi-billion dollar costs of a war with Iran, similar to the model used during the 1990 Gulf War.
On 30 March 2026, a U.S. White House spokesperson stated that President Donald Trump is considering the idea of involving Arab countries in sharing the financial burden of the U.S. war with Iran, which is estimated to reach tens of billions of U.S. dollars.
The White House spokesperson said this idea is one of several Trump is reviewing after being asked whether Arab countries should play a role in supporting war expenses. The question references the past Gulf War when U.S. allies, especially Middle Eastern countries, jointly supported the costs of U.S. military operations.
However, the White House has not disclosed further details on whether this idea will be implemented or which countries might be asked to share the financial burden.
This position reflects the U.S. administration's intention to distribute the war's financial costs among regional allies amid the ongoing conflict with Iran, which continues to impact energy stability and security in the Middle East.
Source: Aljazeera