The continuing Iran war and the subsequent disruptions to the oil supply have caused gas prices to skyrocket in the United States, and a lot of Americans are starting to feel the pain.
According to a report by The Guardian, Americans are beginning to lose their patience with the continuing Iran campaign, which President Trump had insisted would end quickly.
President Donald Trump participates in a working lunch meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, Tuesday, October 28, 2025, at Akasaka Palace in Tokyo, Japan. (Official White House Photo by Daniel Torok)
President Donald J. Trump delivers remarks at the F11 PRIORITY Summit at the Faena Forum in Miami, Florida on Friday, March 27, 2026.(Official White House Photo by Molly Riley)
“For voters interviewed across the country, while the damage may be distant, the residual effects have shown up at the pump, on the grocery bill and in a phone call telling a spouse they have a day to report for deployment,” the newspaper reported. “And for a country still absorbing the aftermath of Israel’s war on Gaza – funded to the tune of billions of dollars by the United States – the war in Iran lands on top of an already raw argument about what American power is for.”
One woman, Lydia Stone, who works in the logging industry in Maine, told The Guardian that her industry is being hit both by high fuel costs and customers having less money to spend.
“It’s been a huge jump in prices, and makes life a lot harder,” Stone told the Guardian.
“A huge part of what has been so frustrating … is like the fact my tax dollars are going to fund murdering people, at the same time that it’s cutting social services, it’s cutting Snap benefits for my neighbors,” Stone added.
Other voters told the Guardian that they don’t see the justification behind the war.
Terrence Dahmen, of Wisconsin, told the newspaper that getting involved in Iran was “a huge mistake.”
“We weren’t provoked into that fight, and we weren’t attacked,” Dahmen told the newspaper. “I saw no reason to go there other than possibly controlling oil somehow.”
Robert Edelstein, also of Wisconsin, told the Guardian that “in the general election, I would automatically vote for anybody that was against the war,” he said. “I think it’s the stupidest thing that could ever possibly have happened.”
An Unpopular War
A poll published earlier this week by Politico and published by Public First found that the war in Iran is extremely unpopular, even among Trump supporters.
“Half of President Donald Trump’s MAGA base thought the Iran war was worth its economic costs in May,” Politico said of the poll. “Now, just a little more than a third do.”
And the unpopularity is tied to costs.
Politico also found that “37 percent of self-identified MAGA Trump voters say the U.S. should continue its involvement only if it doesn’t increase costs, up from 29 percent who said the same in May, according to the survey, conducted by independent polling firm Public First,” Politico said.
“Nearly 1 in 5 MAGA voters believe that the U.S. should end its war in Iran, regardless of the costs.”
Another poll, from the Washington Post, unfavorably compared the unpopularity of the Iran War to that of the Vietnam, Afghanistan, and Iraq wars, in what has been described as the least-popular American war since polling began. That poll showed that 68 percent of Americans consider the Iran war not “worth fighting,” while 28 percent say it was.
The Trajectory of Pricing
Gas Buddy’s weekly report on Monday stated that the average gas price in the United States has crossed the $4 mark, reaching $4.06 per gallon. That’s a gain of 10.8 cents from the week before, 23.9 cents from the month before, and 95.6 cents per gallon from the year before.
The company’s lead analyst, Patrick De Haan, noted that the average price rose in every state in the country in the last week, although there is some cause for optimism.
“ A weekend pullback in hostilities offered some relief, with oil prices opening sharply lower Sunday, suggesting the pace of increases at the pump may moderate in the days ahead,” De Haan wrote in the report. “For now, motorists should expect prices to remain elevated, but the intensity of further gains will depend heavily on how the geopolitical situation develops in the coming week.”
About the Author: Stephen Silver
Stephen Silver is an award-winning journalist, essayist, and film critic, and contributor to the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Broad Street Review, and Splice Today. The co-founder of the Philadelphia Film Critics Circle, Stephen lives in suburban Philadelphia with his wife and two sons. For over a decade, Stephen has authored thousands of articles that focus on politics, national security, technology, and the economy. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) at @StephenSilver, and subscribe to his Substack newsletter.
