It's the Brian Laris show on WNYC. Good morning, everyone. Well, as our show begins today,

coming up on 10 a.m. Eastern time, so begins the U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports in or around the

Strait of Hormuz. Instead of bombing bridges and power plants, as President Trump originally

threatened, if the peace talks with Iran failed, the U.S. has chosen to escalate the economic

front in the war. This is the hour that President Trump announced that for.

Ships traveling the strait will be forbidden to use Iranian ports. That's aimed at Iran's

economy rather than its physical civilian infrastructure, at least for now. For their part,

Iran's response to this move addressing the American people, soon you'll be nostalgic for

$4 to $5 gas.

That's a direct quote.

Soon you'll be nostalgic for $4 to $5 gas.

And about that $4 to $5 a gallon gas?

Well, this Monday morning U.S. blockade comes after the Friday morning inflation report

for the month of March. The Washington

Post headline, for example, Trump faces surging inflation report fueled by Iran conflict. So instead

of speaking to a military analyst as the naval blockade begins, we've invited a world-renowned

economists. We'll also get a stake on the

economics of autocracy, how economic failure for the people of Hungary help bring down the

Maga role model, Victor Orban, in this weekend's historic election there that also has implications

here. Our guest is Mohamed L. Arian, the Renee M. Kern Professor of Practice at the Wharton School of the

University of Pennsylvania. He's also the chief economic advisor at the company Allianz. And among other

things, a contributing editor at the Financial Times. He writes a substack newsletter about the economy

...