The return to active hostilities with Iran has Republican lawmakers on edge about the midterm elections, as the nearly five-month-long conflict continues with no end in sight and gas prices again on the rise.
The Trump administration this week restarted a blockade on Iranian ports and launched dozens of strikes on Iran, warning that it would escalate attacks against key infrastructure targets like bridges and power plants if Iran doesn’t agree to a deal. The previous ceasefire agreement, which many lawmakers welcomed with a sigh of relief, lasted just a few weeks before collapsing over disputes involving Lebanon and control of the Strait of Hormuz.
Republicans believe Iran is purposefully dragging out negotiations to squeeze the Trump administration, using voter pain at the pump as a cudgel for more favorable terms.