Advisers and officials inside the White House are increasingly alarmed that soaring gasoline and jet fuel prices, triggered by the ongoing blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, will inflict severe political damage on the Republican Party in November’s midterm elections, the Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday.

The investigation details fears in President Donald Trump’s inner circle that voters will punish the GOP for the economic consequences of the war the United States and Israel launched against Iran. Global crude output has plummeted since hostilities began on February 28.

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Jet fuel prices have nearly doubled, saddling airlines with billions of dollars in unforeseen costs. On the ground, the impact is being felt acutely at the pump. A new survey by NPR, PBS, and the Marist Institute reveals that 63 percent of U.S. voters hold Trump directly responsible for the rise in gasoline prices, while eight in ten say they are having difficulty making ends meet because of the increased costs.

Secretary of Treasury Scott Bessent has cautioned that passenger ticket prices will not fall quickly even if the strait reopens, forecasting that fares will remain elevated through the summer and fall travel seasons.

Tehran has maintained the blockade of Hormuz as a direct response to external military aggression, a move that analysts say prevents any short-term stabilization of energy markets regardless of potential diplomatic breakthroughs.

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