A wartime gasoline rebate that strengthens America’s hand

Three weeks ago, shortly after imposing the U.S. blockade on the Strait of Hormuz, President Trump stated that the U.S. has “all the time in the world” to wait out Iran. Given that the blockade immediately cut off a substantial portion of Iran’s export revenues and national income, analysts suggested it could take only weeks before Iran’s production capacity and broader economy were severely damaged. 

After years of sanctions, however, the Iranian regime appears more resilient than anticipated. A recently leaked CIA report suggests the timeline for materially weakening Iran’s economy and oil-production capacity may be more like three to four months.

Preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon is a core national security interest, and the consequences of failure would be severe and long-lasting. That creates a domestic challenge. Strategic patience in Washington can collide with economic reality across the country.

For millions of Americans, the cost of this conflict is not abstract. It appears every week at the gas pump. When households feel that cost repeatedly, support for even vital foreign-policy actions can erode.

The burden on Americans and the U.S. economy is substantial. The U.S. consumes roughly 8.9 million barrels of gasoline per day — that’s about 376 million gallons daily and more than 2.6 billion gallons per week. The average U.S. driver uses roughly 10 to 11 gallons per week, based on federal vehicle-mileage data and average fuel economy.

A $1 to $1.50 per gallon increase, therefore, means roughly $10 to $17 in extra weekly costs per driver — about $1,000 to $1,800 per family annually. Across more than 230 million licensed U.S. drivers, that amounts to roughly $2 billion to $3.3 billion per week in reduced consumer spending power — more than $8 billion to........

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