The war between the US and Iran started when the United States and Israel launched coordinated, wide-ranging airstrikes against Iran, specifically targeting military infrastructure and killing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Feb. 28, 2026. As the war rages on, gas prices have spiked, and the likelihood of it ending is low.
As of May 11, 2026, in the Oval Office, President Trump called the Iran ceasefire deal “unbelievably weak” and labeled Iran’s latest peace proposal “a piece of garbage” that he didn’t bother to finish reading, according to USA TODAY News. He then followed up by saying, “I would say the ceasefire is on massive life support, where the doctor walks in and says, ‘Sir, your loved one has approximately a 1% chance of living.’”
This would mean the Strait of Hormuz would remain closed by Iran in retaliation for the strikes, which are halting U.S. oil imports, accounting for 2% to 3% of overall U.S. petroleum liquids consumption. While this is a slight inconvenience for the U.S, the closing of this import choke of global oil cuts the rest of the world off by roughly 20% of global oil, predominantly impacting Asian energy importers such as India, China, Japan, and South Korea, as stated in an article by the IEA.
Many in and outside of the U.S. have and are still voicing their complaints about the price of gas and the current administration’s failure to reach a consensus with Iran. Especially in California, where prices hover around $5.84 to $5.89 per gallon, according to U.S. News.
The 10th-grade Modern World History teacher, Mrs. Tiffany Alexander, expressed, “I feel awful that young Americans are being sent to Iran to risk their lives for a war started by our president and supported by so few. The negative impacts of this war, especially economically, are hurting all Americans, especially those who are hurting financially.”
She then continues with, “Honestly, I think there will only be peace if Trump decides it benefits him. He does nothing for the good of our nation and only acts in his own selfish interests. It’s a travesty.”
