WASHINGTON
WASHINGTON — The United States and Iran have been fighting since February. Iran is a country in the Middle East. Big ships that carry oil have trouble getting past it. Oil is what we make gas from. So gas costs more now. A gallon costs about $4.10. Last year it was about $3.13.
Why it matters: Gas costs more, so every car trip your family takes costs more money.
WASHINGTON
WASHINGTON — The United States put a new round of sanctions on Iran this week. Sanctions are punishments that make it hard for a country to buy and sell things. Iran's foreign ministry called them a "declaration of war on all nations." The two countries have been fighting since February. President Trump said Iran "would love to make a deal, but they're not ready to make the right deal in my opinion." He also said he treats the Strait of Hormuz as American territory right now. That strait is a narrow lane of water between Iran and Oman. A large share of the world's oil is shipped through it.
Why it matters: Oil that cannot move through that water is why gas costs more at every station in Maine.
WASHINGTON
WASHINGTON — The United States imposed a new round of economic sanctions on Iran this week, and Iran's foreign ministry answered by calling the measures a "declaration of war on all nations." Tehran's objection is not primarily that the sanctions are severe. It is that they are extraterritorial: because they penalize companies in third countries for trading with Iran, Iran argues Washington is asserting sovereignty over independent United Nations member states. President Trump escalated separately, telling reporters he regards "the Strait of Hormuz as an American territory right now." The strait is a narrow shipping channel between Iran and Oman through which a substantial share of the world's seaborne oil passes. Trump also said Iran "would love to make a deal, but they're not ready to make the right deal in my opinion," which suggests negotiations are stalled rather than finished. The claim over Hormuz is a statement of policy, not a legal finding. No treaty grants the United States sovereignty there, and the strait's territorial waters belong to Iran and Oman. Whether the phrase describes naval control on the water or is meant as a bargaining position is not clear from the remarks themselves, and the administration has not elaborated. Iran and Oman held separate talks this week about shipping through the strait. That channel is one of the few still open.
The war began on February 28, 2026, when the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran. An early ceasefire collapsed, fighting spread into Lebanon, and Iranian attacks on shipping have kept traffic through Hormuz far below normal. The Houthi movement, Iraq, and Yemen have been drawn in. The underlying dispute traces back to the collapse of the 2015 nuclear agreement and to the network of Iranian-aligned armed groups across the region.
Why it matters: Sanctions aimed at third countries only bite if those countries comply. China's response, more than Iran's, will determine whether this round changes Tehran's calculations or simply raises the price of oil for everyone else.
What to watch: Whether China and other large buyers of Iranian crude cut purchases in September, and whether the Oman channel produces any formal negotiation.
Sources: Al Jazeera, CNN, ABC News, Britannica
Published in Sunday, August 23, 2026 edition.