The economic impact of the Iran conflict, which began one month into Operation Epic Fury, has been exacerbated by a surge in oil prices, soaring interest rates, and a plummeting stock market. The average U.S. price for a gallon of gas rose by a full dollar in just one month, which comes just over seven months before the November midterms. This has led to increased interest rates and a decline in the stock market, with futures market traders raising the likelihood of the Federal Reserve raising interest rates before the end of the year to 52%. The stock market has dropped over 3 trillion dollars in market capitalization since the conflict began, a decrease of over 7% from January. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the American people will eventually understand the cost of the operation to secure 50 years of stability without a nuclear weapon.