Democrats probe whether Trump considered cost of Iran war

WASHINGTON (CN) — House Democrats are demanding the Trump administration explain whether it anticipated the spike in energy prices and global shipping delays as potential consequences of its war against Iran.

Wednesday's request came as President Donald Trump issued a fresh threat to Tehran amid peace negotiations, just days after the White House appeared to sidestep its legal obligation to secure congressional authorization for continued military action.

Writing in a letter to the president, Democrats led by California Representative Robert Garcia asked him to turn over information about whether his administration "made any effort to understand or prepare for the ways that starting a war with Iran would make life more difficult for the American people."

According to a recent analysis published by AAA, gas prices have climbed 50% in the U.S. since Trump first ordered strikes on Iran in early March — a figure largely credited to spikes in the price of crude oil spurred on by Middle East hostilities and Iran's move to blockade the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial shipping route. The strait's closure has also affected the trade of other goods, such as ammonia, a key ingredient in agricultural fertilizer.

And the war has taken a toll on U.S. inflation, the Democrats told the president, pointing to recent Bureau of Labor Statistics data which shows that the consumer price index jumped roughly one full percentage point in March, the first month of the Iran war. They argued that shift represents roughly $150 more in expenses each month for the average American household.

"Although it was long predicted that any attack on Iran would prompt Iran to cut off access to the Strait of Hormuz, your administration claimed that your war would have a minimal impact on global prices and energy markets," the lawmakers wrote. "That claim has proven to be false, apparently due to a lack of preparation by the White House."

The Democrats pointed to media reports that the Trump administration did not consult with the heads of relevant federal agencies — such as the Treasury Department, Energy Department and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence — before proceeding with military action against Iran. They demanded Trump turn over all documents and communications between the White House and any agencies regarding the Iran war and its possible effects on shipping and global energy and fertilizer markets, as well as gas prices.

Garcia and his colleagues also requested information on discussions the administration had about how to "mitigate or otherwise address" negative impacts stemming from a possible war with Tehran, and how the White House plans to approach what Democrats have long called an "affordability crisis" under Trump, which they argued had been exacerbated by the conflict.

"The impacts of your war will be felt for years, and the consequences of your reckless decision to drag America into war are increasingly falling on the American public," the Democrats told the president. "Amid a worsening affordability crisis, Americans deserve to know whether your administration considered the many ways your war would increase the day-to-day cost of living, and what steps you are now taking to protect Americans from the fallout of your foolhardy rush to war."

Joining Garcia in the letter to Trump were the Democratic ranking members of several key House committees, including New Jersey Representative Frank Pallone, the top Democrat on the House Energy and Commerce Committee; and Minnesota Representative Angie Craig, the House Committee on Agriculture's ranking member.

The White House did not immediately return a request for comment.

Hostilities against Iran have been on pause for weeks amid a ceasefire agreement that continues as Trump and Tehran negotiate a possible settlement. In a post Tuesday on his social media platform Truth Social, the president said talks were making "great progress," and announced he would suspend a U.S. Navy effort to guide some cargo ships through the blockaded Strait of Hormuz.

But on Wednesday morning, Trump issued a fresh threat against Iran, saying that if the regime refuses to accept Washington's terms, "the bombing starts … at a much higher level and intensity than it was before."

The White House last week told congressional leaders that the U.S. military operation against Iran, known as "Operation Epic Fury," was "terminated" just hours before a legal deadline requiring a formal declaration of war or authorization of military force from lawmakers.

However, Trump's proclamation, an apparent sidestep of the White House's obligations under the War Powers Resolution, also appeared to leave the door open for future military action. The president told lawmakers that he still believed Iran to be a "significant" threat to U.S. interests.