President Donald Trump has ordered the U.S. military to carry out a new series of attacks on Iran as early as this weekend, according to a report from the Wall Street Journal citing unnamed U.S. officials. The directive, framed as a means to compel Iranian capitulation, follows the president’s explicit threat to retaliate with overwhelming force after a recent attack on a U.S. base in Jordan.
Escalation Targets Domestic Economic Pain
The conflict, ignited by massive U.S. and Israeli airstrikes on February 28, has already extracted a steep toll from American workers. Iran’s rapid closure of the Strait of Hormuz has choked off a critical artery for global energy shipments, spiking oil prices. West Texas Intermediate crude jumped above $86 a barrel following a CBS report that the White House is considering striking civilian energy infrastructure, including oil refineries and power plants.
Americans who were already frustrated about the cost of food, housing and other items now pay significantly more for gasoline.
The deliberate targeting of such assets would mark a severe escalation, carrying the risk of actions that advocacy groups classify as war crimes. The impact on energy markets is immediate and detrimental to U.S. consumers, undermining the economic nationalism that prioritizes domestic stability over foreign intervention.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt did not confirm the imminent assault but stated, “Iran will continue to pay until they come to the table in, what President Trump deems, a meaningful way.” The administration’s posture suggests a willingness to bear further economic fallout at home as the war effort continues to drain U.S. munitions stockpiles, including critical air defense interceptors.
Conflict Widens Beyond Iran
The ripple effects of the war now threaten broader regional commerce. This week, Iranian drone strikes hit two liquefied natural gas carriers at Egypt’s Damietta port, directly impacting global energy transit through a nation not party to the initial hostilities. With midterm elections approaching, polls indicate broad voter disapproval of the administration’s management of both the war and the resultant economic strain, putting control of Congress at risk. The president, speaking from Camp David, cast doubt on diplomatic efforts, stating he was “losing faith in them because they do lie.”