Rand Paul Says U.S. Is Worse Off Five Months Into Iran Conflict

Nearly five months after President Donald Trump ordered joint U.S.–Israeli strikes against Iran, the conflict has expanded to a heavily militarized Strait of Hormuz and heightened energy-price volatility. Iranian threats to commercial shipping in the strait and attacks by Iran-backed Houthi militants on Saudi tankers in the Red Sea have disrupted two of the world’s key oil corridors, prompting a sharp rise in crude and gasoline costs.

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The war began in late February when the United States launched air operations alongside Israel in response to Iranian actions in the region. Since then, Iran has tightened control over the Hormuz passage—through which roughly one-fifth of global oil supplies flow—and the Houthis have targeted vessels in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a route that carries about 12 % of world trade and a quarter of container traffic. The ceasefire collapsed in July, and daily strikes have resumed, keeping diplomatic negotiations stalled.

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• Brent crude rose to $98.64 a barrel and U.S. crude to $90.70 a barrel, a near-5 % increase.

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• The national average price of gasoline reached $4.003 per gallon, more than 30 % above its level when the strikes began.

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• The war has cost the United States $37.5 billion, killed 18 service members, and wounded roughly 430 (Reuters).

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• Approximately 12 % of global trade and 25 % of container traffic normally pass through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

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Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.)

The Hill

• “I think the Iran war has not been a success. I’ve been opposed to the Iran war from the beginning. I think by any objective measure we’re worse off than we were before the war,” — Sen. Rand Paul

The Hill

• “You could argue we have some leverage because we defeated them militarily, which may get a better negotiated settlement, but so far we haven’t seen the advantage play out in negotiations,” — Sen. Rand Paul

The Hill

• “I think people are mostly upset about how much things cost.” — Sen. Rand Paul

The Hill

• “You could argue we have some leverage because we defeated them militarily,” — Sen. Rand Paul

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