War With Iran Is Hitting American Wallets Hard — Here's What Families Are Paying at the Pump and Beyond

For millions of Americans, the ongoing U.S. military conflict with Iran isn't just a foreign policy story — it's showing up in their bank accounts every time they fill up their gas tank, buy groceries, or call a rideshare to get to work. The financial squeeze is real, it's widespread, and according to a new national poll, many Americans don't expect it to let up anytime soon.

A survey conducted by ABC News, The Washington Post, and Ipsos found that half of Americans believe gas prices will climb even higher over the next twelve months. At the same time, 4 in 10 Americans say they are worse off financially than they were when President Donald Trump began his second term in January 2025, and nearly one in four say they are actively falling behind.

The numbers reflect something many households are already living through day to day.

How the War Connects to Your Gas Prices

When the U.S. entered into military conflict with Iran, one immediate economic consequence involved a critical waterway called the Strait of Hormuz. Iran moved to block this narrow passage, which is one of the most important routes for global oil shipments — roughly 20% of all oil traded worldwide normally flows through it. Disrupting that supply chain sends shockwaves through energy markets, and those shockwaves eventually land at your local gas station.

The poll found that more than 4 in 10 Americans — 44% — have already cut back on how much they drive because of higher gas prices. Another 42% have trimmed their household budgets in other ways, and 34% have scrapped or changed travel and vacation plans.

For lower-income households, the pain is sharper. Among Americans earning under $50,000 a year, more than half reported cutting back on both driving and general household spending.

Real People, Real Costs

Jacob Olson, 28, of Beebe, Arkansas, knows this reality firsthand. After losing his warehouse management job when the solar company he worked for went bankrupt, Olson started his own business making custom wood products like storage racks. The work requires him to drive to customers regularly, and every trip to the gas station costs more than it used to.

He now has two young children — a 1-year-old and a newborn — and says the margins in his household budget have all but disappeared.

"I don't really do anything, you know, for leisure or luxury anymore," Olson said. "It's all kind of just getting the bills paid ... I have a 1-year-old, and I just had another baby about a month ago, so I've got two little ones, and every day it's getting harder."

When asked how he's managing, Olson summed it up simply.

"One day at a time," Olson said. "One foot in front of the other. ... That's about the way to sum it up."

Brenda Howard, 66, of Lubbock, Texas, faces a different but equally difficult situation. She doesn't own a car, so she depends on rideshare apps like Uber and Lyft to get to her cleaning job and run basic errands. A single trip to the grocery store now costs her around $30.

"This is not the way I thought my retirement was gonna turn out," Howard said. "I never dreamed that it would be a day-to-day struggle, sometimes hour to hour."

Martha Davis, 66, lives in Tool, Texas, and works as a caretaker for her disabled son. She sometimes has to travel up to 60 miles to reach medical appointments. The cost of those trips has nearly tripled.

"I used to get back and forth on like $20, $25, but now it's almost 70 bucks," Davis said.

Political Opinions Are Mixed, But Financial Strain Is Not

The economic frustration crosses political lines. Andy Breedlove, 51, of West Virginia, said he supports Trump's performance in his second term but still acknowledges that gas prices are uncomfortably high.

"But with the price of everything else, it kind of evens out a little," Breedlove said.

He expects fuel prices to keep rising as long as the war continues.

Jim Piper, 36, of Portage, Indiana, lives on a fixed income due to a disability and says he has been financially worse off since Trump's second term began. He blames gridlock between the two parties rather than any single policy, but the result for his wallet is the same.

"I got to pay more, even though I'm not making more," Piper said.

Not everyone is holding back their criticism of the administration's handling of the conflict. Jacob Olson said he has been frustrated by the lack of clear communication from the White House about the reasons for U.S. involvement.

"He hasn't made a clear statement on why ... we're actually participating at all," Olson said. "From what I know, there's been a lot of just lying and, you know, not being transparent, and ... a big lack of professionalism, which I don't appreciate coming from the president."

Christopher Mosley, 43, a former Walmart employee from Fort Smith, Arkansas, described Trump as "reckless" on foreign policy.

A 61% majority of Americans said in the poll that the decision to go to war with Iran was a mistake.

On the question of gas prices specifically, Trump's public statements have varied. In early April, he suggested prices might stay steady or even rise. By May 1, he said prices would come "tumbling down" once the conflict is resolved. Iran has been reviewing a U.S. proposal aimed at ending the war, according to a spokesman for Iran's foreign ministry.

With midterm elections approaching, the financial frustration of voters is seen as a factor that could reshape the balance of power in Congress. For now, millions of Americans are making hard choices — skipping vacations, stretching grocery budgets, and rethinking every trip to the gas station — as they wait to see whether relief is actually on the way.