South China Sea boasts world's busiest air and sea routes: report

The South China Sea and its adjacent waters boast the world's most trafficked air and sea routes, said a report released by a Chinese think tank on Friday.

The report, released by the Strategic Situational Awareness Program, noted that the South China Sea boasts one of the busiest maritime routes in the world, and also one of the most economically important waterways.

Amid the rapid economic growth in China and Southeast Asia, the South China Sea and its surrounding areas are increasingly becoming the world's busiest ocean shipping lanes and air routes, with thousands of ships and aircraft operating in and over the South China Sea every day, according to the report.

For the region and the world at large, the South China Sea has become a major transportation artery affecting economic development, said the report.

South China Sea boasts world's busiest air and sea routes: report

South China Sea boasts world's busiest air and sea routes: report

South China Sea boasts world's busiest air and sea routes: report

Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said on Friday that the "Pentagon is lying" about the cost of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran launched on February 28.

In a post on X, Araghchi said that "Netanyahu's gamble has directly cost America 100 billion U.S. dollars so far, four times what is claimed."

"Indirect costs for U.S. taxpayers are far higher. Monthly bill for each American household is 500 U.S. dollars and rising fast," he added.

Citing three people familiar with the matter, CNN reported on Friday that the 25-billion-U.S.-dollar estimate "that a top Pentagon official gave to lawmakers on Wednesday for the total cost to date of the Iran war is a lowball figure," which "does not include the cost of repairing extensive damage suffered by U.S. bases in the region."

One source said the real cost estimate is closer to 40-50 billion U.S. dollars "when accounting for the costs of rebuilding U.S. military installations and replacing destroyed assets."

Iranian FM says 'Pentagon is lying' about cost of US-Israel war on Iran