WASHINGTON D.C May 5, 2026 — U.S. Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) is highlighting the pocketbook impact of the ongoing U.S. military operation in Iran, now more than 60 days in, saying it is driving up prices for gas, airline tickets, fertilizer, and online shipping.
In a video message posted to X on Tuesday, the former national security official and CIA analyst stated: “Gas, airline tickets, fertilizer, and new shipping fees on Amazon purchases. The price of almost everything is being impacted by the President’s war in Iran.”
Slotkin noted that the conflict has already exceeded the administration’s initial one-month projection. She pointed to a shipping stalemate in the Strait of Hormuz, where vessels are unable to pass through the Persian Gulf, disrupting global supply chains.
Key military details cited by Slotkin include the deployment of more than 50,000 U.S. troops to the region and the positioning of three aircraft carriers — a level last seen at the start of the Iraq War in 2003. The Pentagon has spent approximately $25 billion on the operation in the past eight weeks, she said.
In Michigan, gas prices have reached as high as $4.99 per gallon, with diesel costs climbing even higher. These increases are rippling through to higher airline fares, new shipping surcharges on Amazon purchases, and elevated fertilizer prices that affect the state’s farmers.
“Michigan and the other Midwestern states are having a particular problem with our refineries,” Slotkin said, stressing that “everything is affected by this problem with shipping.”
The senator urged Americans to “continue to watch this very closely,” noting that the 60-day mark is significant to some of her Republican colleagues in the Senate.
Slotkin’s comments come as the conflict continues to affect energy markets and international shipping routes, with Midwestern consumers and agricultural producers feeling the effects most acutely.
Life News Agency will continue to monitor developments in the U.S.-Iran conflict and their impact on American families.
About The Author
