White House advisor urges exit from Iran conflict as oil prices, tariffs squeeze US allies

Iran’s most significant oil infrastructure was struck by a significant American airstrike, escalating the already expensive military conflict that is rocking international markets and hurting ties with vital U.S. allies.

On Friday, President Donald Trump ordered the U.S. Central Command to bomb Kharg Island, describing it as one of the most powerful assaults in Middle Eastern history.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump asserted that every military objective on the island had been eliminated.

He had spared the island’s oil infrastructure “for reasons of decency,” but he warned that this decision may be altered if Iran disrupts commerce via the Strait of Hormuz. Before flying to Florida, Trump told reporters that the military campaign would continue “as long as necessary.”

Kharg Island is essential to Iran’s economy, handling almost 90% of the nation’s crude oil exports. Any attack on the complex bears significant risks for both regional stability and global energy costs. Since the start of the confrontation with Iran, oil prices have already increased by more than 40%.

Crack in the White House

Trump seemed confident, but there was a rift within his own inner circle. The first senior administration official to openly challenge the course of the conflict was David Sacks, the White House’s AI and cryptocurrency advisor.

In an interview with the All-In podcast, Sacks stated that it was time to “declare victory and get out,” describing it as “clearly what the markets would like to see.”

Sacks also raised alarm about further strikes on energy infrastructure. He said continued attacks could prompt Iran to target oil and gas facilities across Gulf states, rendering the Gulf “almost uninhabitable.” He called it “a truly catastrophic scenario.”

The Trump administration has also been promoting “Iran Tariffs,” a series of trade sanctions that were first made public on social media and threaten to impose an instant 25% tax on any nation doing business with Iran.

These sanctions are part of a larger pattern of protectionist trade strategy that began in 2025 with the goal of severing ties with Iran.

The secondary sanctions have alarmed both European countries and Gulf allies, and economists caution that this could lead to an increase in consumer prices.

Trump has presented the tariffs as a means of “enriching our citizens” by transferring expenses to other nations.

However, his assertion that the war is “nearly won” runs counter to reports that advisors are secretly pressuring him to find a way out of the conflict out of concern about the potential political harm that rising oil prices and inflation could cause.

Costs mount at home and abroad

The toll in the U.S. is already evident. Trump traveled to Kentucky on March 11, 2026, a state hit hard by his trade policies.

The state’s historic sectors of horse breeding and bourbon production are faltering due to growing supply chain costs and oil prices that are close to $100 per barrel. Local companies are “bracing for impact.”

The battle is also changing decisions made outside of the United States. Pakistan is currently cutting back on its commerce with Iran, while the United States accounts for about 18% of its total exports, or $5.8 billion in 2024–2025.

The country’s Commerce Ministry referenced a U.S. executive order dated February 6, 2026, allowing the 25% tariff to be applied to imports from any country that buys Iranian goods.

Pakistani officials have warned that such tariffs could hurt the country’s ability to compete with rivals, including India, Cambodia, Vietnam, Bangladesh, and Indonesia, in the American market.

Islamabad seems reluctant to jeopardize access to its largest economic partner, given the significance of textile and IT services exports to the United States.

The upcoming days will determine if Washington can handle the damage or whether the cost of the battle keeps rising as strikes persist and economic pressures increase.

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