This is Brian Lairr's Daily Politics podcast from WNYC Studios.

It's Friday, March 6th.

I'm Amina Serna, a producer for the Brian Lair show, filling in for Brian today.

As the war with Iran continues to intensify,

we begin with the cost of war. First, the human cost, mostly felt in the Middle East. Since the

United States and Israel launched their coordinated attacks on Iran on Saturday, at least six American

service members have been killed.

All of them were killed Sunday in an attack on a port in Kuwait.

And more than 1,000 civilians have been killed in the first five days of the U.S. Israeli bombings of Iran,

including 181 children under the age of 10. That's according to the U.S.-based human rights

activists news agency. But the price of war could be paid by Americans as well. U.S. oil prices

traded up to $82 a barrel Thursday afternoon after United Kingdom maritime monitors reported that oil tankers

were being attacked in the strait with one leaking oil. That's according to Politico.

All of this coming in ahead of the midterm elections, of course. And until recently, oil prices

have been a bright spot for the Trump administration.

Registering declines as President Trump took office.

Joining us now to discuss how the war in Iran has impacted and might continue to impact the affordability crisis here in the United States is Lydia DePillis,

New York Times reporter covering the American

Economy. Her latest for the Times is titled, How War in the Persian Gulf Could Spill

Into the U.S. economy. Lydia, welcome back to WN.YC. Good to be here. And listeners, we know

oil prices impact us not only individually at the pump, but also in so many

different consumer industries. If you felt the impact in any way this week, call and tell us your

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