Donald Trump has insisted the war with Iran will end “soon” and that US forces are “way ahead of schedule,” even as gas prices surge to their highest levels since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the Pentagon’s munitions bill reaches billions of dollars within days of the conflict beginning.
Speaking in a brief phone call with Axios on Wednesday, Trump said: “Little this and that… Any time I want it to end, it will end. The war is going great. We are way ahead of the timetable. We have done more damage than we thought possible, even in the original six-week period.”
The upbeat assessment from the White House comes against a backdrop of mounting human and financial costs. Seven US service members have been killed since strikes on Iran were launched on 28 February. In the first two days of the conflict alone, the Pentagon burned through $5.6 billion worth of munitions — a figure that has prompted growing concern among Republican lawmakers anxious about the economic and political consequences of a prolonged campaign.
The financial impact on American consumers has been immediate and severe. Average gas prices have climbed from $2.90 per gallon before the war began to $3.60, a level not seen since the peak of energy price rises that followed Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The spike has raised alarm among Republicans who fear the economic strain could cost the party dearly in the approaching midterm elections.
Despite Trump’s public confidence, Israeli and US officials have indicated privately that strikes on Iran are expected to continue for at least another two weeks, suggesting the conflict is far from its conclusion. Trump told reporters earlier this week that Iran’s military had been effectively destroyed and said a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin had left him hopeful of a swift resolution.
How quickly the conflict concludes — and whether energy prices stabilise or continue climbing — is expected to be the defining factor in determining both the economic impact on American households and the political consequences for the Republican Party ahead of the midterms.
