On Feb. 28, The United States, in cooperation with Israel, began strikes against Iran in Operation Epic Fury with the stated goals of punishing nuclear development efforts by the Iranian government and inspiring regime change.
“It has always been the policy of the United States, In particular my administration, that this terrorist regime can never have a nuclear weapon,” said President Trump in a video posted to Truth Social on Feb. 28.
Trump went on to cite the strikes made during Operation Midnight Hammer in June 2025, which targeted nuclear facilities in Fordow, Isfahan and Natanz, as continued efforts by the administration to curb nuclear development.
Trump’s Feb. 28 Truth Social video also ended with a plea to the Iranian people to rise up against their government after the operation was finished.
There have been many casualties reported since the initial strikes, including 180 people, killed following an American strike on a school in Iran.
The casualties also include 13 US service members, including 6 who were killed in a refueling crash in Iraq according to a press release from U.S Central Command.
On March 1, the White House Youtube channel posted an update where president Trump confirmed that Ali Khamenei, who had led Iran since 1981, was killed in the Feb. 28 strike.
While the conflict has been referred to as war by many, including some within the administration, Congress has yet to declare war as is required by section 1 article 8 of the Constitution.
Despite there being no formal declaration of war, the United States Senate voted down, 47-53, a resolution to end hostility with Iran on March 5.
Whether or not Operation Epic Fury is a war could be the final nail in one of Trump’s campaign promises, peace.
During a rally in November 2024, Trump claimed that he would be the “peace” president, a claim that was later echoed by the White House Twitter account in a post from October 2025
In the following two weeks, the knock on effects of the conflict have reached the average American. The most obvious pain point? Gas prices.
Despite recoiling from strikes, Iranian forces are still capable of disrupting trade traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, which serves as a main thoroughfare in global trade.
According to a New York Times report from March 12, three ships have been damaged going through the strait of Hormuz with Iran’s revolutionary guard taking credit for at least two of the tankers.
The threat of further incidences has led to traffic through the strait being almost entirely frozen, with war time insurance premiums rising.
According to the BBC, normally 20 percent of the world’s oil passes through the Strait of Hormuz, making it one of the most important oil trade routes.
As a result there has been a steep increase in the price of oil with it hitting more than $100 in the past two weeks.
As of March 17, Business Inside placed the price of Brent oil, which acts as an indicator for intercontinental oil exchange, at $2.32 per gallon. There are 42 gallons in a barrel thus bringing the price of a barrel to a steep $103.36.
This naturally translates to higher prices at the pump.
A report from NPR on March 16. Which used data from the AAA (American Automobile Association) showed that gas prices had jumped nearly 80 cents since Feb. 28 for a total of $3.72 a gallon.
The AAA database’s data for the Stockton-Lodi area showed that the average price of a gallon was $5.392 up from $4.508 a month ago.
