Iraq-style nation-building, however, is an activity that Trump and his aides have explicitly said they do not want to undertake.
On Tuesday, US investors will pass judgement on Trump’s latest comments. But even if the wild market swings we have seen begin to stabilise, the surge in petrol prices will likely take longer to calm.
In the US, the average price of a gallon of gasoline is now $3.48, up 48 cents from a week ago.
This comes as there are indications the economy is already struggling. Last Friday, for example, the Bureau of Labor Statistics announced the US had lost 92,000 jobs in February, unemployment ticked up to 4.4% and the labour force participation rate, at 62%, was the lowest since December 2021.
“Affordability” and cost of living concerns regularly rank as the top issue for Americans – and these same polls suggest there is sizeable opposition to the ongoing Iran military campaign. That is a dangerous mix for a president who is inextricably linked to this operation and months away from vital midterm elections in November that will decide control of Congress.
Trump has promised that higher prices are temporary, and that by the time Americans head to the polls in November they will be more positive about the cost of living.
In northern Georgia, however, voters are casting ballots in a special congressional election on Tuesday. There, the Iran war – and the danger it presents to the economy – are pressing concerns.
Bob Stinnett, an independent voter, said he worried that the spike in energy prices could cause a recession. “I have supported Trump, but not for this,” he said.
Angie, who recently retired after a long career as a nurse, said she was worried rising gas prices could eat into her budget at a precarious time in her finances.
When asked how she felt about the Iran war, and the impact it would have on her gas prices, she said she cares more about the people of Iran. But, she said, the US should not have gotten involved.
“I honestly don’t like it at all,” she said. “I understand they needed help, but couldn’t we have found another way to do this?”