Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Kristen Wright.
U.S. Central Command says it carried out a 12th straight night of strikes against Iran.
And Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels say they struck two oil tankers in the Red Sea.
As a result, oil prices are surging.
NPR's Deepa Shivaram reports.
Gas prices are going up again.
Inflation is up.
And at the same time that Americans are struggling with these higher prices,
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said this week that the Iran war so far has cost $37.5 billion, that's with a B,
which is pretty big for a price tag for a war that Trump said would...
And months ago, and not to mention American troops who have been killed and injured in action as well.
President Trump blamed inflation on the Biden administration during a rally in Marietta, Georgia, yesterday.
House Republicans advanced a $95 billion budget blueprint, mostly for the war with Iran.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio held direct talks with his Russian
counterpart on the sidelines of a minister's summit in the Philippines today.
NPR's Charles Maines reports their conversation focused heavily on Russia's war in Ukraine.
The meeting between Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov lasted just over half an hour.
Ahead of it, Rubio said the U.S.
Remained open to playing a role in ending the conflict between Russia
and Ukraine if, Rubio added, the opportunity presented itself.